An Unexpected Love
by Dara Tavar
Summary: What if the die had three colors? When he looks at her, something he'd thought had died with both Tahl and Adi starts working again. He knows he can't leave her behind...and she feels the same. Theirs is an unexpected love with a lot against them. QuiShmi
1. Prolouge

**I thought about doing a story like this for a few weeks now but never got around to doing it, or coming up with how it happens. Thursday night while at Star Wars in Concert the idea hit me once again, this time with a vengeance, and wouldn't leave me alone. So I planned out how I wanted to do it and got the parts I needed...and earlier today I started writing this.**

**Well, this is my first try at a story that happens during Episode 1. This is the prologue, tell me if you think it will be good or not and I'll do another chapter. Enjoy!**

**MTFBWY...Dara Tavar  
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**Prologue**

The Mos Espa arena's main hanger was a large building with around a dozen Podracers being readied for the race. Alien crews along with the pilots of the various pods were rushing about, making last minute adjustments or fixes to their crafts.

Qui-Gon and Jar-Jar walked through the throng of activity with Watto, examining what the people were doing with detached coolness.

"I want to see you're spaceship the moment the race is over." Watto stated, having absolute faith that the slave boy examining the stranger's pod would lose this race like he'd done with all the others. He doubted the human boy would even finish, as always.

Qui-Gon followed his gaze, examining the careful way the boy looked over the other creatures' crafts and looking for a place to put his own pod. "Patience, my blue friend. You'll have your winnings before the suns set, and we'll be far away from here." He had confidence in the boy. He had the reflexes of a Jedi…and he intended to train him like he should have been trained.

Watto smirked in a way that only Toydarians could. "Not if your ship belongs to me, I think…I warn you, no funny business." This man being a stranger, he wasn't sure he could be trusted. As far as he knew the man could be a dead-beat and cheat him out of his winnings.

It was obvious that Watto didn't think his slave would win the race, and Qui-Gon thought he shouldn't write him off. The boy was fast, and he could probably do some extraordinary things. "You don't think Anakin will win?" he asked, keeping any interest from his voice.

Watto stopped before an orange racer, gesturing to the driver sitting off to the side while having his shoulders and neck massaged by twin Yobanas. Sebulba.

"Don't get me wrongo." Watto began, thinking that he should be cautious around this stranger. He was unpredictable. "I have great faith in the boy. He's a credit to your race, but Sebulba there is going to win, I think." He couldn't keep himself from smiling though. He'd put a good deal of money on him and he expected to win it and more at the end of the game.

Qui-Gon's eyes narrowed slightly, picking up on the slight smile, but the Toydarian never noticed the same change in the way he was watching him. "Why?" he asked quietly.

"He always wins." Watto stated, shocked that he didn't know it but then remembered that the man had only just gotten here. He laughed, glancing at the creature called Sebulba. "I'm betting heavily on Sebulba."

"I'll take that bet." Qui-Gon stated immediately. He saw the opportunity for something he'd not thought was possible, but had been hoping for the chance to bring up. He kept his eyes trained solely on the tricky Toydarian before him, not giving anything away.

Watto suddenly stopped laughing and eyes Qui-Gon warily. "What? What do you mean?" he wasn't sure what the stranger was getting at, but if it involved him winning something from the human he liked the thought of it.

"I'll wager my new racing pod against…say…the boy and his mother." He watched the flying Toydarian closely. This was the opportunity he'd been looking for since he'd learned that the Toydarian's weakness was gambling. He kept his face calm though, not wanting the Toydarian to know how much he wanted him to take the bet that he would lose.

"A pod for slaves, I don't think so…well, perhaps one. Just one…the mother, maybe…the boy isn't for sale." Watto stated, thinking it over. He didn't think the boy would win but, when faced with the thought of losing him to think stranger, he wasn't sure he would want to chance it. The mother though was still young and, though he wasn't sure if she could still bare children, she would make this stranger happy for a while if that was the reason he wanted her.

Qui-Gon looked doubtful, pretending to mull it over. "The boy is small, he can't be worth much." He wanted both of them, not just the woman. The boy could be useful and, he couldn't deny it, he was growing attached to them both. The thought of only taking one of them was too much; he needed them both for different reasons…some that he didn't want to examine too closely.

Watto shook his head. He wouldn't risk losing the slave boy, he was useful and would be hard to replace. How many humans out there could he have work in his shop, fix things like that boy, and race pods? He doubted he would find one here.

"For the fastest Pod ever built?" Qui-Gon asked, hoping to lure him into agreeing to free his two slaves.

For a moment Watto considered agreeing to it. The fastest pod ever built was a tempting offer…but the boy… He shook his head again. He couldn't do it. The boy was too valuable.

Qui-Gon frowned. He'd seen the indecision on the Toydarian's face; he'd almost taken the bait. Perhaps it was time to do a little demanding since mind tricks apparently didn't work on him. He was simple-minded enough that it should. "Both, or no bet." He demanded.

Watto sent him a hard look, not liking the way this stranger was demanding he release his slaves if he lost. He didn't think he would lose the bet, but he didn't want to chance it anyways. "No pod's worth two slaves…not by a long shot…one slave or nothing." He spat at him.

"The boy then." Qui-Gon stated after a moment of careful consideration. He knew Watto wouldn't agree to it right out, but that he would try to trick him. He would catch the Toydarian in it and somehow get him to agree to betting the both of them.

Watto pulled a small cube from his pocket. It had four red squares and two blue. Qui-Gon had followed him hand and had seen him almost pull out another, slightly different, die.

"We'll let fate decide." Watto stated, holding the cube up for Qui-Gon's inspection. He twisted it between his fingers, feeling like smiling. He would get the stranger now. "Blue it's the boy, red his mother…"

"Wait." Qui-Gon stated when the Toydarian went to toss the cube. "You have another die. I noticed that you nearly pulled it out. I would like to see it for a moment."

Watto's look hardened but he slipped the other die from his pocket into Qui-Gon's had. He waited tensely as Qui-Gon studied the blue, red, and yellow die carefully. The man had something up his sleeve, and Watto didn't trust him…not even for a second.

Qui-Gon held up the three-colored die. "I would prefer if we used this one. Blue is the boy, red his mother…but if it lands on yellow it will be the both of them." He held up his hand when Watto went to protest. "It's fair, all three colors having two spaces on the die."

Watto felt a sort of pressure in his skull. Reaching up he scratched his head. As he looked into the stranger's eyes he had the slight urge to give in and agree to betting both of his slaves…but then knew that would be ridiculous and pushed the thought away, but not without some difficulty.

"I thought you had full confidence that Sebulba would win." Qui-Gon added in a strange voice. "Will betting really hurt?"

The Toydarian snapped out of it, his head snapping straight up. The man's voice sounded normal when he asked the question…but there was something different when he'd insinuated that Watto doubted Sebulba…but he pushed it away, not wanting to look into why the stranger had sounded different. "Alright, we use that one." He snatched it from Qui-Gon.

Watto tossed the cube down to the ground and watched as it rolled across the floor. While he was watching the cube so closely, Qui-Gon lifted one of his hands slightly and the cube came to a stop…yellow facing upward.

Qui-Gon smiled when a suddenly anger Watto turned to glare at him. He would have let the cube continue on its own, with no help from him, if he'd known it would have landed on yellow.

"You won the small toss, outlander, but you won't win the race, so…it makes little difference." He spat at the still smiling Qui-Gon, hoping to wipe the smile off his face. He would have said the smile was smug but couldn't. The smile was hollow and void of any emotion as the man always was.

Anakin and Padme entered the hanger on one of the Eopies they were using today, pulling one of the pod's engines behind them. Kitster sat upon the other Eopie, pulling the second engine behind him. Threepio walked along side Anakin and Padme while Artoo rolled along behind them pulling the main part of the pod with Shmi sitting atop it.

Watto stops at Anakin's side as he's leaving the hanger. He still looks angry, not liking the thought of having just lost the small toss to this stranger. "Bonapa keesa pateeso, o wanna meetee chobodd." Just the thought put him in a better mood so he flew off, laughing.

Anakin frowned. What did he mean by, _Better stop your friend's betting or I'll end up owning him too_? He looked over at Qui-Gon as he stopped by the Eopie. "What did he mean by that?" he asked.

Qui-Gon sent him a quick smile, his eyes finding Shmi. When her eyes met his, her cheeks turned a light pink, he didn't let himself wonder why she'd flushed or why he liked it so much, before looking away. He looked back at Anakin, reaching up to help him down "I'll tell you later." He murmured.


	2. Chapter 1 Meeting Shmi

**I'm sorry that's it's been so long since I've updated...I just haven't been able to work on any of my stories for a while. Thanks for your prayers everyone...God answered them, maybe not how we'd all hoped, but he answered them anyways. Thank you all for waiting while I couldn't write...I appreciate that you all have been there for me. Thanks to everyone who sent me messages that made me smile just to know someone was out there praying for me.**

**Well, on to the chapter you've been waiting for now.**

**MTFBWY...Dara Tavar**

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**Chapter One- Meeting Shmi**

Qui-Gon followed Anakin into the small hovel where he'd told them he lived. The boy was bright and cheerful, even if he was a slave and forced to work for a flying demon. He was kind too, inviting them to stay at his home when he knew they wouldn't make it back to their ship before the oncoming sandstorm hit. He had been right when he said that sandstorms were very dangerous.

Jar Jar walked behind him, looking at everything. The creature was too curious for his own good…it was going to get him into a lot of trouble one day. Behind him walked Padme, who was fast becoming a constant pain in Qui-Gon's opinion. He wouldn't have minded her coming along so much if she didn't find something to complain about with everything that he decided to do. The girl complained constantly about what Queen Amidala would or would not like him to be doing. It hadn't been hard for him to come to the conclusion that Miss Padme was indeed Queen Amidala and her decoy sat in her place on the ship.

Artoo rolled along behind then, letting out a low whistle as they entered a small living space.

"Mom! Mom, I'm home!" Anakin called as he rushed ahead of them and farther into the living room.

Jar Jar looked around once more, examining everything that he could see before giving a slight nod and smiling a little. "Dissen cozy." He stated, looking over at the boy and smiling once more.

Qui-Gon was about to inquire where Anakin's parents were when a woman entered the living space from a door off to the left. She looked to be about forty, with warm, friendly features. Her features were worn, showing that she'd been subjected to the harsh winds and heat from having to work outside. Her brown hair was pulled back into a bun, a few tendrils having slipped out to frame her pretty face. Her deep brown eyes were soft and inviting, as though she cared for everyone else before taking care of herself. She wore a plain slave's gown.

Shmi blinked in surprise, startled to see visitors in her small home. A young woman, probably not much older than Anakin himself, only a few years she would guess. There was a small droid and an odd creature she'd never seen before, but he wasn't the strangest being she'd seen in her lifetime.

The one that really caught her attention though was the man who stood behind her son. He was tall with long brown hair, a few grey streaks running from his temples, and blue eyes. He possessed a high forehead with high cheekbones, a straight nose, and a strong almost square jaw. His clothes were plain, traveler's clothing. Nothing to suggest that he was a slave, a free man, or even someone of a high station.

"Oh my!" Shmi looked at the strangers standing in her home for one more moments before turning her startled gaze on her son. "Annie, what's this?" she asked in confusion. It wasn't uncommon for her son to invite people home with him, but usually she knew who they were. She'd never even seen these people before.

"These are my friends, Mom." He turned and gestured to the young woman, who smiled a little at Shmi. "This is Padme, and…" he trailed off, looking at the others behind him with a small frown that told his mother that he'd not asked them what their names were. "Gee, I don't know any of your names." He stated, biting his lip.

The man who stood behind him smiled, drawing her attention to him once more. She couldn't help but think that he had a beautiful smile. "I'm Qui-Gon Jinn and this is Jar Jar Binks." He stated, motioning to the odd creature standing at his side. Jar Jar turned and sent her a wide grin that she couldn't help but smiling back at.

Qui-Gon felt a tug at the corners of his lips. Anakin's mother had a lovely smile, gentle and sweet, not revealing that she'd been enslaved for years now. A little beep from behind him pulled him from his thoughts, enough to realize he'd forgotten to introduce their favorite little droid.

"And this is our droid, Artoo-Detoo." Padme added before Qui-Gon could introduce the little droid patiently waiting behind him.

Anakin sent Padme a wide grin that she couldn't help but returning. "I'm building a droid." He said excitedly waving her toward a hall leading out of the living space. "You wanna see?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

"Anakin!" Shmi cried out after him, trying to keep the amusement from her voice. He tended to invite people over and not inform her of why they were there or how long they were planning on staying with them. "Why are they here?" she asked when he turned to look at her.

The boy's mother was trying to look stern, but Qui-Gon could see her lips twitching. He had trouble keeping from smiling as he watched her struggle not to laugh.

Anakin sighed, sounding so frustrated that Padme nearly laughed out loud. This sounded like an old argument and she began to wonder how often he invited strange people back to his house. "A sandstorm, Mom. Listen." He answered.

Shmi did as he asked and listened to the wind howling angrily outside. She flinched at the angry sound, wondering where these strangers were staying. It was bad already and they'd only just gotten here. Maybe it had been a good thing that Anakin had invited them here, she wouldn't have wished anyone to be out in this storm.

"Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter." The man named Qui-Gon told her. She turned to look at him, nodding a little.

She was glad that he didn't have to be out in this weather and couldn't help but be a little happy that her son had invited them to stay. It showed that her son's heart was a kind and innocent one and besides…how often was it that she was blessed with such a handsome man in her small hovel?

She flushed at her wayward thoughts, wondering where they had come from. She couldn't remember ever having such thoughts about a complete stranger.

"Come on!" Anakin cried out happily, knowing that he'd won the argument with his mother and that she was going to let his new friends stay as long as they needed to. "Let me show you Treepio!" he stated, leading the way to his room. Padme followed, smiling a little and he could hear Artoo beeping as he followed along behind her.

Qui-Gon moved closer to Shmi and she was surprised at the way her heart seemed to jump in her chest. When he took five small capsules from his belt and held them out for her to take, she held her hand out in confusion.

Qui-Gin dropped the capsules into her hand. "I have enough food for a meal." He stated. If she was going to allow them to stay in her home while the storm raged outside, he was going to give her something in return.

Shmi looked up at him in surprise. "Oh, thank you." She got out when she found her voice. It was, to her, a touching gesture that he would supply the food for the meal she would have to prepare tonight. No one else that Annie had ever brought home had thought to do something like this. "Thank you so much. I'm sorry if I was abrupt. I'll never get used to Anakin's surprises." She smiled a little, hoping that he would realize she had no problem with him being in her house.

When he nodded a little she knew that he understood. He must have had to deal with similar problems and she wondered if he had any children…then scolded herself for wondering something so personal about someone she'd only met a moment ago.

Qui-Gon glanced at the room the other had disappeared into. "He's a very special boy." He stated as he tried to get a feel for her current emotions. It had always been easy for him to catch onto other's thoughts or feelings, but he was having trouble with her as he had with her son.

When she looked at him as though he'd just discovered a secret, a look of surprise with underlying wariness, he wondered about why she didn't seem to like the thought of him knowing her son was special.

Shmi looked away, watching Anakin's room for a moment before replying quietly. "Yes, I know." She didn't know this stranger very well and wasn't sure if she liked him knowing Anakin was special.

She thought of all the times when he'd showed someone his abilities, things that had confused her, and how hurt he always was when that person looked on him in fear or as though he were the weirdest thing they'd ever seen. She wasn't sure if Anakin would be able to bare that from these people.

Though she knew he'd only just met them, she could tell that Anakin really liked them. She'd known immediately but the look on his face when he'd said Padme's name that her son had fallen for the first time, and he'd obviously fallen hard. When he looked at her, it was as though she was the only thing he could see.

Even at nine years old, he knew more than most people as old as her knew. Sometimes, he even knew more than her. There were times where he knew something was going to happen before it ever did.

She looked at Qui-Gon Jinn out of the corners of her eyes, examining his strong jaw and handsome profile as he watched Jar Jar Binks making his way toward him.

Messa go find Annie." He stated with a smile, looking at Qui-Gon. Shmi got the distinct impression that, while it had sounded like he was just telling them where he was going, that he was really asking permission to go find her son.

Qui-Gon nodded, watching with amusement as Jar Jar made his way across the living room; barely escaping what would have been a nasty hit to the shin against a stand but the doorway. When he looked over his shoulder to smile he tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground.

The woman at his side made what sounded like a cooing noise as she hurried to the clumsy Gungan's side to help him up. Fearing that Jar Jar might pull her down with him when she tried to help him up, Qui-Gon was at her side in three long strides, holding her arm and grasping Jar Jar's to keep either of them from falling to the floor.

They watched in silence as Jar Jar slowly made his way to Anakin's room, muttering apologies to them until he disappeared out of sight and exclaimed, more than likely at seeing Threepio.

Shmi chuckled before glancing at the man at her side. His expression was remote, but his eyes showed his amusement. She got the distinct feeling that he had been expecting something to happen while she was trying to help the clumsy creature up. The thought that he may have been worried about her safety made a warm feeling creep through her.

Qui-Gon glanced at Anakin's mother, only to notice that she'd been watching him. When her cheeks turned a light pink and she glanced away, he nearly smiled again. "If you don't mind, I believe I'll see what they're all making a fuss about in your son's room Mrs. Skywalker."

As he watched her cheeks turned a darker shade of red. "It's Miss Skywalker actually. But, please, call me Shmi." She replied, smiling a little up at him. "I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I guess it just slipped my mind there for a moment. I'm usually better mannered than that." She joked.

Qui-Gon smiled before he could stop himself. "Shmi," he began, liking the way her name sounded, "You can call me Qui-Gon."

She watched as he entered her son's room. "Qui-Gon," she stated, trying the name out and finding that she liked the sound of it. She liked saying it.

Slowly, she turned and smiled. Yes, she was definitely glad that her son had invited them to stay. And this time, when her thoughts turned to how attractive he was, she didn't scold herself or push them away but, instead, gladly thought about it and how she would make herself look a little nicer before dinner without arousing suspicions from her too attentive son.

Qui-Gon waited a few minutes, examining the robot that Anakin had been constructing in his small bedroom, before finally giving in to the voice in his head telling him to go search for Shmi. It had been years since he'd felt the need to be near a woman, since he'd actually enjoyed a woman's company.

After losing Tahl, he'd nearly given up his desire to be near any woman, Adi Galiia being one of the only exceptions to that as she was one of his best friends.

What he felt for Shmi was vastly different than what he felt for Adi or even what he'd felt for Tahl, who he'd loved those years ago. No, what he felt for her was something entirely new.

He looked into the room where she'd come out of when they'd first arrived home and Anakin had called for her. He couldn't help grinning as he looked around the room, small gadgets scattered everywhere from her working on them. It was easy to tell that this was her workspace. The faint smell that he'd detected when she'd stood next to him filling the room. She apparently liked to tinker with mechanical objects. Now he knew where Anakin had learned everything that he knew.

When he smelled a faint aroma, what he was sure was the beginnings of the meal they would have tonight, he followed it until he came to another door. He looked in and found a cozy little kitchen with Shmi bustling about, preparing things for their dinner.

Shmi felt his presence before he even said anything. She couldn't explain it, but when he stopped at the room's opening her skin started to tingle, her stomach twist a little and her heart speed up a little bit.

"Do you need some help?" Qui-Gon asked, moving farther into the room as he observed her working. He glanced at her hands, saw the calluses there that revealed her head lived life, but he also saw how graceful and delicate they were. If it were up to him, he'd never have her working another day in her life, only on her gadgets in the other room if she wished it.

He was started by this turn of thoughts, but couldn't see to push them away. When she turned a bright, thankful smile on him he was dazzled and temporarily speechless.

"That would be greatly appreciated, thank." She smiled as he moved to her side, rolling up his sleeves so they wouldn't be in the. She could see his muscular forearms and found the sight just a little distracting.

He held in a long sigh. This was going to be a long stay…now he only needed to be able to keep away from this tempting woman as long as possible. He made up his mind, deciding he needed to keep her at a distance. But he did agree to one thing…keeping Shmi at a distance was going to be tough on him. They'd only just met and already he didn't want to think about what would happen to her when he left…if he got to know her, thinking about leaving her behind him might prove to be impossible.


	3. Chapter 2 Dinner Time

**Here's the next chapter, with lots of Shmi and Qui thoughts while they make dinner and while they're eating. I haven't decided if I was to have the next chapter the rest of dinner or just skip to when Shmi and Qui are on the porch alone. Tell me which you want and I'll work on it for the next chapter.**

**MTFBWY...Dara Tavar**

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**Chapter Two- Dinner Time**

Shmi slipped into the adjoining room, carrying dishes and quickly set them down on the makeshift table. She set the plates out, then the silverware, and finally the cups. She quickly surveyed her work, making sure there was enough room for everyone, before turning and heading back into the kitchen.

She paused at the sight of Qui-Gon in her kitchen. He was mixing together some bits of food, making a sort of salad.

Her eyes ran over him quickly. He'd shed his heavy cloak shortly after walking into the room and had his sleeves rolled up. She could see the muscles in his back flexing beneath his tunic as well as the ones in his arms, since he'd barred them for her view.

Even with him helping her it had taken about as much time to make dinner as she would have done if she were alone. When he'd asked if she wanted help, she'd thought they would be done in no time with the two of them working on different things…but he'd proven to be quite a distraction to her, overwhelming her senses and drawing her eye constantly.

As a matter of fact, she thought that it may have even taken _longer_ than normal.

Shaking her head, she pushed away her thoughts and had just stepped into the room when he suddenly turned toward her and started out of the room.

Shmi let out a startled cry when they suddenly collided, bumping into one another and sending the bowl in his hands high into the air.

Qui-Gon grabbed Shmi's arm, catching her before she could fall to the ground and possibly hurt herself. He opened his mouth, but found her staring up almost in horror. Raising his eyes to see what she was staring up at, he recalled the bowl he'd been holding…the same bowl that was now above his head and starting to tip over, threatening to let its contents drop on their heads.

Without thinking, he let his Jedi reflexes take over. Grabbing the bowl with a swiftness that belied his advancing years, he easily caught the bowl and its contents with one hand…and what he didn't catch, he stopped in midair and moved the bowl under before letting them drop into it.

He couldn't believe that he'd gotten so distracted by his thoughts that he'd not heard her approaching the room. Yes, the woman moved as quietly as a Jedi so he may not have heard her if he'd been paying attention, but the fact that he'd not sensed her presence told him he'd been paying no attention to his surroundings what-so-ever…and that was a dangerous thing, especially for a Jedi.

He couldn't allow himself to be distracted by the woman.

Shmi watched with avid fascination as Qui-Gon caught all the food before even one piece fell to the ground. She couldn't believe what she was seeing…she'd only seen one other person use such powers before, and that person was her son. It seemed that he wasn't the only one who had special powers.

Once more her eyes slid to the weapon hanging on his belt. She knew it was a lightsaber and that it was the choice weapon for Jedi and wondered once more if he were a Jedi knight…but didn't ask. She wouldn't intrude on his life but would listen readily to whatever he thought to tell her. And he hadn't told her much so far, certainly not that he was a Jedi.

Quickly looking away, she murmured a quick thank you before turning and moving away. She was acutely aware of his presence and, with him standing so close to her, she couldn't think straight. All she could see was him; all she could hear was the sound of his breathing or of fabric rustling. All she could smell was him, the scent that she'd caught before. It was a musky scent, utterly masculine. Her fingers itched to reach out and touch him. Her mouth went dry every time he glanced at her.

She was tense and restless in his presence, and he'd only been there a couple hours so far. How was she to handle his stay here? Never had she been so aware of one man, of his every move. It was almost as though her body had tuned in to him so that he was the only thing she could concentrate on.

She was aware of the moment he left the room, even though he never made even the slightest noise to give himself away.

Gathering up the remaining two bowls, she moved into the other room and sat them on the table, very aware of every time Qui-Gon's eyes landed on her. When their hands brushed, she almost cried out at the shock it sent through her whole arm. It had been bad enough to just be near him, but when the backs of their hands had brushed it seemed that it was going to be a long night for her.

Calling for the others, she settled herself at one end of the table and tried not to watch as, after he'd gathered his cloak and donned it once more, he settled himself in the seat right across from her and tried to concentrate on Anakin, Padme, and JarJar as they came in to the living area and settled themselves at the table to eat.

Qui-Gon had noticed that, while they were working on preparing the meal, Shmi had seemed tense and restless, constantly moving around…and, it seemed to him, avoid being too close to him. He couldn't understand why she'd been keeping herself away from him until they been setting the table and their hands had brushed. He'd felt the jolt it had sent through him, stronger than even what he'd felt when he had touched Tahl. And her reaction had given her away.

She'd jumped, looking at him with wide, startled eyes. But it was the underlying desire he'd seen that had told him she'd felt what he did. Now that he knew he wasn't the only one who was going to be having a long night, he began to wonder just how hard he would have to fight his attraction for her. Since he knew she felt the same for him, he knew it would be harder to resist the pull he felt when he looked at her.

The sounds of JarJar slurping rather loudly, since they were all now used to the sound of the wind howling outside, pulled Qui-Gon and Shmi from their thoughts and everyone turned to look at him with varying expressions. JarJar turned bright red and tried for a smile before they all looked away from him.

They ate in silence for a while before Padme tried striking up a conversation.

Shmi wasn't paying close attention until something that made her look up at the girl with surprise and decide to join the conversation. "All slaves have transmitters placed inside their bodies somewhere," she informed her.

"I've been working on a scanner to try and locate them, but no luck." Anakin frowned. He didn't like failing and had hoped the scanner would work so that he could escape with his mother and she wouldn't be forced to work for their cruel master anymore. Shaking his head, he glanced up at his mother to see her smiling a little at him, and he smiled back.

Shmi turned back to Padme and shook her head solemnly. "Any chance to escape…" she trailed off with a shrug. The girl could come up with whatever she wished.

"…and they blow you up…poof!" Anakin cried out, throwing his hands up to elaborate. He smiled shyly when his mother gave his a look that he knew meant he shouldn't have said that…and he knew why when he turned and saw the horrified looks on Padme and JarJar's faces.

Qui-Gon had known something like that would be the punishment for running away from you master on a planet like this…but the thought of Shmi trying to escape and that happening to her caused a sudden tightening in his chest that he knew didn't bode well for the future.

"The Republic doesn't exist out here…we must survive on our own." Shmi's soft voice drew him back into the conversation in time to not only see the embarrassed silence that descended over them all, but the looks of pity and embarrassment on the other's faces. He met her eyes for a moment before looking at her son when he began speaking.

While he listened to the boy, his thought's once more drifted to the boy's mother. When Anakin mentioned Podracing, he vaguely felt Shmi's mood shift to worry and glanced at her, seeing the concern on her face. When he saw JarJar's tongue flick across the table to snatch a bit of food from the bowl over by Shmi he turned a dirty look on the Gungan. He didn't want the creature to offend Shmi in her own home.

"They have Podracing on Malastare. Very fast, very dangerous," he murmured offhandedly as he eyed JarJar and wondered if he would need to take action against him if he even thought to do that even once more.

"I'm the only human who can do it."

Shmi drug her gaze away from Qui-Gon to look at her son with concern. He knew how much she hated those races and when he participated in them. It felt as though she died a little every time he raced for Watto, and as she helped take care of the wounded sometimes, she knew how many creatures older than her son died in crashes while racing in those dreadful games.

Qui-Gon studied the look on Shmi's face for a moment before he realized the boy had said something to him. "You must have Jedi reflexes if you race Pods," he stated, thinking it would go along with whatever it was that the boy had said this time. The boy's mother really was proving to be quite a distraction for him at the moment.

Shmi watched as Anakin smiled and JarJar's tongue shot out to try and snatch another bit of food from her side of the table. In the blink of an eye, though, Qui-Gon's hand flashed out and he caught the silly creatures tongue between his thumb and forefinger, startling not only the creature, but the rest of them as well with how fast he moved. Even though she'd witnessed how fast he was in the kitchen, Shmi was still caught off guard with how quickly he moved sometimes.

Qui-Gon slowly turned his head to look at the Gungan, sending him a disapproving glare. "Don't do that again," he stated in a firm tone. When JarJar tried to mumble something of an acknowledgement, he released his tongue and let it snap back into Jar Jar's mouth.

"I…I was wondering…something…" Anakin stuttered, glancing between Qui-Gon and the table quickly.

Qui-Gon waited until the boy looked back up at him and didn't look away this time before asking gently, "What?"

"Well, ahh…" Anakin swallowed hard and eyed the man for a moment before asking his question, "you're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?" He waited tensely for Qui-Gon's answer even though he was sure he already knew what the man would say. He'd seen the lightsaber hanging on his belt and knew he must be a Jedi.

"What makes you think that?" Qui-Gon asked nonchalantly, looking curious to everyone but Shmi…she could see the underlying wariness that no one else seemed to be able to notice.

"I saw your laser sword," he stated matter-of-factly, sitting up a little to flick a glance towards the lightsaber that was clipped to Qui-Gon's belt and currently uncovered by his cloak. "Only Jedi carry that kind of weapon."

Qui-Gon had reached down to cover his weapon once more but paused when Anakin continued talking to him. Looking over at the boy, he leaned back slowly and smiled a little as he replied, "Perhaps I killed a Jedi and stole it from him."

Anakin was quick to shake his head, looking at Qui-Gon as though he'd said the most unbelievable thing he'd ever heard in his short amount of years. "I don't think so…" he replied in a voice that almost seemed to question Qui-Gon's sanity. "No one can kill a Jedi."

Shmi watched as the smile immediately fell from Qui-Gon's face, his expression immediately becoming a shuttered mask that hid whatever it was that he was feeling. Shmi wouldn't have had a clue as to what caused his sudden withdrawal from them if it hadn't been for the pain that flashed in his eyes. She knew Jedi weren't supposed to form attachments, but that didn't mean they didn't have friends…or lovers. She suddenly wondered which it was that he had lost.

"I wish that were so…" he murmured, looking down at Anakin with a cool, unemotional expression that would have told her he was definitely a Jedi had he'd not seemed to admit it.

Qui-Gon turned back to his food as a silence descended on the table, intending to eat in silence…but found that his gaze was drawn to Shmi. Her expression told him that he'd not hid his feelings as well as he'd thought…or, at least, he'd not hid them from her as well as he'd thought that he had. No one else seemed to have noticed how the topic had affected him, but it seemed she had.

Her expression was a mixture of sorrow and curiosity. No doubt she'd somehow seen or assumed he knew a Jedi, and had been close to them, that had been killed and was sorry for him. It was the underlying curiosity in her expression that he was intrigued by. What was she thinking? Did she wonder who it was that had been taken from him? Or…did she wonder what they'd been _to_ him?

When her cheeks started to turn a dull red and she glanced away from him, he was sure that she'd been wondering who he'd lost and what they'd once been to him. Would she be jealous if she found out that Tahl had been his lover?

Qui-Gon stiffened at the pleasure her possible jealousy brought to him. He'd only known that woman for a few short hours and, while he'd known someone who had met a woman one day and knew only hours later that she was perfect for him, he knew it didn't bode well for him in the future.

Looking at Shmi once more, he assured himself that he wouldn't fall in love with her…just as she was promising herself that she wouldn't fall for a man who wouldn't be here much longer or try to start a relationship that would be doomed to end in a day or two.


	4. Chapter 3 Help Out

**Sorry it's taken me so long to get this update. What with school ending and finals almost here, I've been a little busy trying to finish up everything. Luckily I only have one final this week and then it's summer so I'll be able to work freely...except for the week or two that my aunt wants me to go to West Virginia to visit and I'll be completely cut off from the internet. Though, I'll probably get a bit done in all my stories so I can just update them.**

**Well, here's the next chapter and I should be able to update sooner. Enjoy!**

**MTFBWY...Dara Tavar  
**

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**Chapter Three- Help Out**

"I had a dream I was a Jedi." Anakin's words penetrated Shmi's thoughts, drawing her attention back to him. She'd caught the slightly startled look on Qui-Gon's face before he'd masked it though, and knew he'd not been paying attention either. She found herself wondering what he'd been thinking about. She couldn't believe how interested in this man she'd become. She'd never been interested in men before, concentrating more on her son and how she could keep him out of trouble day after day.

"I came back here and freed all the slaves," Anakin continued, his gaze focused on Qui-Gon, seeming to demand his attention. "Have you come to free us?" he asked bluntly, much to his mother, and the rest of the tables, amazement.

By the frown on Qui-Gon's face, Shmi knew he'd not come to set them all free. He'd just been having some problems and had been forced onto this planet. Soon enough, he'd be working on getting the parts for his ship, repairing it, and then flying off to dangers she couldn't begin to imagine and far away from her. He probably wouldn't even remember.

Why did that thought bother her so much?

"No, I'm afraid not," Qui-Gon replied quietly. His gaze met Shmi's and she saw the regret there. He wanted to help them, but he couldn't. She forced a small smile, wishing she weren't a slave and was free to leave with him. Not that he would want such a plain, unattractive woman. And she had a son to think about.

Anakin frowned right back at him, apparently not going to give up. If he could, he'd convince the man to give up whatever task he was going about and devote his attention to freeing the slaves on the lonely, desert planet. "I think you have," he stated stubbornly. "Why else would you be here?"

Qui-Gon looked thoughtful for a moment, as though he were contemplating revealing something very important to the young boy. "I can see there's no fooling you," he finally said. Leaning forward, he glanced at the others and lowered his voice in a conspiratorial way. "You mustn't let anyone know about us. We're on our way to Coruscant, the central system in the Republic, on a very important mission, and it must be kept secret."

The way Qui-Gon said that had Shmi smiling just a little. She could hear the truth in his voice, but he was making a big deal of it to entertain her young son. She knew she was softening to him much too quickly, especially since he'd be leaving them behind him in a matter of days, but she couldn't help it. He was a nice man, a good with her son.

Anakin's eyes widened and he leaned forward, wanting to hear more. "Coruscant…wow. How did you end up here in the outer rim?" he asked quietly, intent on hearing everything he could about their mission.

"Our ship was damaged, and we're stranded here until we can repair it," Padme replied to Anakin's question. Her pretty face was worried, a frown pulling at her lips. It was obvious she didn't like being stranded out in the middle of nowhere when they had important things to be doing.

Excitement radiated off Anakin, catching Qui-Gon by surprise. The boy's face lit up in a brilliant smile that had the worry fading off Padme's face, a smile claiming her young features. She was so serious that Qui-Gon had often found himself forgetting she was just a young girl.

"I can help!" Anakin chattered excitedly, getting an affectionate smile from his mother that had Qui-Gon's eyes on her once more. "I can fix anything!"

Qui-Gon turned back to him, fighting to control his emotions. It seemed he couldn't keep his mind, let alone his eyes, off the boy's lovely mother. "I believe you can." He knew the boy had been bragging about his abilities, just excited over the thought that he might be able to help them and eager to do everything he could. "But our first job is to acquire the parts we need."

"Wit no-nutten mula to trade," Jar Jar put in, his heavily accented words becoming easier to translate for Shmi.

"These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind." Padme stated, her pretty young face turning down in a frown once more and making her look years older than she really was.

Shmi wondered if she'd been as serious at that age as Padme always seemed to be. The only time her face lit enough to reveal her true age was when she spoke to Anakin. Recalling what she'd just said, Shmi made an exasperated noise, shaking her head slightly. "Gambling," she supplied when the others looked at her. She made a quick face. "Everything here revolves around betting on those awful races."

Qui-Gon frowned for only a moment in confusion before his expression cleared with understanding. "Podracing," he stated with a slight nod. "Greed can be a powerful ally if it's used properly." He tried concentrating on how he could use the races to his advantage, but his mind brought up the image of Shmi's face when she'd mentioned gambling. It had been one of disgust. The more interesting look had been when she mentioned those _awful races_ and the quick look she'd sent her son. She'd looked worried.

"I've built a racer!" Anakin exclaimed, excitement rolling off him. What really got Qui-Gon's attention was the feel of worry coming from the other side of the table…from Shmi. "It's the fastest ever. There's a big race tomorrow, on Boonta Eve. You could enter my pod. It's all but finished…" he trailed off, frowning a little in thought.

Shmi's worry subsided to relief, making curiosity to rear its head inside Qui-Gon. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this curious about someone. What was it with his fascination with her?

"Anakin, settle down. Watto won't let you," she told her son in that calm voice of hers.

Anakin frowned at his mother, shaking his head with a look that clearly said she didn't understand what he was getting at. "Watto doesn't know I've built it." He turned back to Qui-Gon, once again eager to help out. "You could make him think it's yours, and you could get him to let me pilot it for you."

Qui-Gon looked at Shmi when sudden waves of panic rolled off of her. He's been finding her hard to read all night, having only small wisps of her emotions catching him and being forced to rely on her facial expressions to tell what she felt. This was the most he'd felt from her. He almost felt smothered by the panic that swept off her. Even if he'd only been able to tell by reading her expression, it was obvious that she was upset.

"I don't want you to race, Annie. It's awful." A shudder ran through her at the thought of her little boy in one of those dangerous races again. He always came back hurting from a crash he'd been in. "I die every time Watto makes you do it."

A pleading look came over Anakin's face, one his mother had seen many times before when he wanted something that she wasn't willing to let him do for fear of his safety. "But, Mom, I love it…and they need help. They're in trouble. The prize money would be more than pay for the parts they need."

"Wesa ina pitty bad goo," Jar Jar murmured quietly, as if he might help talk Shmi into letting Anakin do the race. The Gungan could easily see that his new friend really wanted to help.

"Your mother's right," Qui-Gon stated, looking over at Anakin. When he flicked a glance at Shmi, sitting at the head of the table, he saw the relief in her face. But she also looked troubled. He wondered what she was thinking about to have her frowning so, her eyes looking at all of them with such a worried look in them. "Is there anyone friendly to the Republic who might be able to help us?" he asked, turning his attention to her.

Shmi watched him, troubled at the thought of what anyone else's reaction would be to his need for help. They would laugh at him and walk away. Slowly, she shook her head apologetically.

"We have to help them, Mom." Anakin saw his mother's resolve faltering and he jumped on it. He strongly believed that if one saw an opportunity, they should jump on it before they lost that moment. And he really wanted to help his new friends. "You said that the biggest problem in the universe is no one helps each other."

"Anakin, don't…" Shmi replied in a quiet voice, but even she head that she was losing this argument. He was right. It was a problem she'd complained about at times. No one helped anyone else. And Anakin had heard her saying plenty of times how they needed to help out when someone asked. Now he was using her words against her.

Jar Jar burped rather loudly then. But it may have just sounded loud because they had all turned back to their food for a moment, letting silence fall over the table. At a sharp look from Qui-Gon, he apologized quickly.

Shmi studied the man at the other end of the table quietly, watching him from beneath her eyelashes so no one would catch her. She let out a small sigh, knowing there was no way she could keep herself from helping him. For some reason, this man had stirred feelings in her that she'd only ever felt for her son. She wanted to help and make sure he was happy. Was it possible for her to care so much when she'd only just met the man? Apparently.

Padme cleared her throat delicately, lifting her chin in a bit of a regal manner in Shmi's opinion. She turned and looked Shmi in the eyes, something not a lot of people did since they thought of her as a lowly slave and not worthy to look at them. A surge of respect, and appreciation, ran through Shmi.

"I'm sure Qui-Gon doesn't want to put your son in danger. We'll find another way." The young woman nodded, as if everyone would agree with her, sending Shmi a smile that said she didn't want to put Anakin in danger, and returned to her food.

Shmi looked at them. Jar Jar, a clumsy Gungan who raised protective feelings in her as well as amusement. Padme, a lovely young woman who her son had clearly fallen for and was polite and sweet to Shmi, something not a lot of other people were since she was a slave. She could faintly hear beeping from Anakin's room where R2-D2 chatted with C-3PO, giving that poor droid someone other than her and Anakin to speak to for once. And then there was Qui-Gon.

Her eyes settled on him last. He stirred the most feelings in her. She felt an intense need for him to be happy and safe. But, most astounding of all, he made her feel something no other being had ever stirred in her...desire and a need to be beautiful. She'd never wanted a man to look at her and want her, but she did with him. When his eyes found hers, she knew what to do.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself against the outcry in her that went against what she was going to say. Anakin would never forgive her if something happened to these people because she'd not let him help them out. And she would never forgive herself if something happened either. "No, Annie's right, there is no other way. I may not like it, but he can help you." She met her son's excited gaze. "He was meant to help you."

Anakin's face lit up in a smile she loved dearly. "Is that a yes?" he asked, containing his joy until she nodded. The moment she did nod, he threw his arms in the air and let out an excited cry. "That is a yes!"

Shmi smiled a little as he chattered on about his plans to help out as they finished their food. Eventually, she only half listened to him. She thought about the storm that was still raging outside her cozy hovel and wondered about Qui-Gon's ship.

The moment they finished eating, Anakin rushed Padme and Jar Jar out of the room and to his bedroom where he could tell C-3PO about how he was going to get to race.

Qui-Gon stood up, watching Shmi as she began to gather their dirty dishes without speaking. Her gaze landed on her son just before he disappeared and she smiled a little. He could see that she was happy he was having fun, but he could also see the worry underlining her happiness. She was worried her son might get hurt.

Moving toward her without thinking, he laid her hand on her arm. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and lips parted in surprise. He had a sudden urge to kiss her, but forcefully pushed it away. He couldn't start a relationship that was bound to fail. It was also against the Code, but when had that ever stopped him?

"Thank you," he found himself saying. "I'll do everything in my power to make sure that he doesn't get hurt while helping us." He gave her arm a light squeeze, once again wishing he could lean forward and kiss her, but not wanting to get involved with someone he would be forced to leave behind in a matter of days.

Shmi saw the struggle in his eyes, but wasn't sure what he was fighting against. His words warmed her, but not nearly as much as the hand resting innocently on her arm. The merest touch distracted her from what she been doing, but he words snapped her out of it. He was offering to protect her son, the wonderful man. And once again she was forced to remind herself of why it would be disastrous to give in to the temptation he offered. He would leave in a matter of days and she was a lowly slave.

She forced a smile, pushing away her depressing thoughts of how he couldn't want her. "Thank you. Anakin was right, though. People don't help each other as much as they should. I'm just doing what I've always told him was the right thing to do…help someone else when they're in need."

"I'll do the same for you, Shmi."

The words caught her off-guard, but he offered no more explanation. Instead, he began helping her clear the table and cart dirty dishes to the kitchen. She had the feeling helping her clean up wasn't what he'd been talking about. But, if that wasn't it, then what had he meant by he would help her?


	5. Chapter 4 The Porch

**So, I wrote this probably two months ago and just didn't get to upload it. Finished it late and thought "I can upload it tomorrow" and just haven't had the time. Thought to work on my stories this weekend, but looks like I'll be writing a paper all weekend so it doesn't look like I'll get anything done. I'm hoping things will calm down soon and I'll actually have time to get some work done with these, so the next update (if someone isn't out to get me now, lol) won't take nearly as long to come.**

**Well, enough from me since you don't read this to have me go on for hours...Enjoy!**

**MTFBWY...Dara Tavar**

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**Chapter Four- The Porch**

Qui-Gon slipped his comlink into the belt around his waist, his conversation with Obi-Wan completely slipping his mind as Shmi walked out onto the porch with him, a shy smile on her face as she met his eyes before quickly looking down at the courtyard below them.

Shmi kept her eyes on her son as he darted around his pod's engines with Padme, Jar Jar, and Artoo. They were working hard to finish the pod in time for the race the next day now that the storm had finally passed. She was all too aware of how long the man beside her allowed his eyes to linger on her, as if expecting something or looking for something maybe, before turning back to the courtyard.

"You should be proud of your son," Qui-Gon began. He didn't mind the quiet or just listening to the noise below them, but for some reason he wanted to hear Shmi talk. He craved her presence as he had once craved Tahl's, but he also craved hearing her sweet voice. That, in itself, was dangerous but he couldn't seem to help himself. "He gives without any thought of reward."

She watched her son as he worked away. "He knows nothing of greed," she murmured quietly. "He has…" she trailed off, wondering if she should trust this man. She barely knew him, but she was certain that she could trust him. She just didn't know if she should trust her own judgment.

"He has special powers," he offered for her. He wasn't sure what exactly she was feeling, but he guessed it had something to do with trusting him about something having to do with her son's differences.

She visibly relaxed. "Yes."

"He can see things before they happen. That's why he appears to have such quick reflexes." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering how she would take the next thing that he had to say to her. "It is a Jedi trait."

She nodded, as though she'd known he would say something to that affect. "He deserves better that a slave's life," she replied quietly, her eyes locked on the boy too far below them to hear what they were saying.

"The Force is unusually strong with him, that much is clear." Qui-Gon readied himself, preparing to read her emotions no matter how hard it was for him. He wanted, needed, to know what she felt when he asked his question even if he didn't know why. "Who was his father?"

Shmi blinked, looking at Qui-Gon in surprise. No one ever asked her about Anakin's father. The last time she had been asked was when Anakin was a baby, first born. "There was no father." She looked back to where her precious son hurried about, intent on fixing his beloved pod for the race tomorrow. "That I know of…I carried him, I gave him birth…I can't explain what happened." She looked back to the man at her side who was studying her carefully. "Can you help him?"

Qui-Gon studied Shmi's face. He couldn't read what she was feeling, only getting a muddy wave from her and nothing more, but he could easily see the pleading in her eyes. She wished he would be able to do something about her son, not wanting him to suffer the live of a slave.

She saw the sorrow in his eyes. He wanted to help, but it didn't look like he knew how. Either that, or something was keeping him from being able to help. She held in a sigh. This was the closest she had come to ever getting Anakin off this desert planet, and it didn't look like it would end well.

"I'm afraid not," he said, confirming her thoughts. "Had he been born in the Republic, we would have identified him early, and he would have become a Jedi. No doubt…he has the way." He couldn't stand the look of understanding sorrow in her hazel eyes, forced to look away before he did something like promise to get both of them off this planet. "But it's too late for him now, he's too old."

She nodded, looking away too. She saw the obvious desire to help in his eyes, but she understood what he was saying. Her son was too old for him to take with him. The ability to become a Jedi was beyond her son, just because of his age.

She couldn't find the energy to get angry over something so trivial, something that she couldn't find any way to fix. What would the point be? She'd only be wasting effort that she needed to be able to use for more important things like taking care of her son and their guests.

The two watched from the porch as Anakin hurried around the pod, excitement written all over his face as he jumped into the little capsule behind the two giant engines he'd been working on only moments before. They watched as he puts the power into the dashboard and everyone backed away.

Shmi's eyes grew wide, panic shooting through her when she saw that Jar Jar had yet to back away. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth and he was talking around it, his eyes wide in his own panic. He was pulling on his hand, telling her that not only was his tongue numb, but his hand was stuck as well.

She was about to call out in hopes of getting someone's attention to warn them of the Gungan being stuck, but Padme noticed he was calling out for help and went to free him.

They got away just as the pod's engines came to roaring life sending relief through Shmi as everyone began cheering loudly, smiles on everyone's faces.

Qui-Gon watched Shmi out of the corner of his eye. It seemed that when her emotions were incredibly strong, possibly even overpowering, he could get a wisp of them. It was like the slightest wave of feeling from her, like a slight brush of someone's fingertips over bare skin.

While she was smiling over her son's success, her eyes still held a little lingering sadness he'd seen before when he'd told her there was no way he could help her son. He felt the strong urge to do what was necessary to remove that look from her eyes, to have her smiling at him with joy in her eyes. It was so strong, it took all his effort not to make promises he wouldn't be capable of keeping.

"We should probably go down to congratulate him on finishing the pod. He has put in a lot of effort, with the help of your friends there, since the storm passed," she murmured in that quiet voice of hers.

He nodded. "We probably should."

Shmi looked up at Qui-Gon, finding him watching her once more. She flushed at the pleasure she felt over knowing he was watching her like she tended to watch him. She cleared her throat and glanced away, wondering what she was doing in saying what she was about to. "You don't sound like you're ready to go down there just yet."

He started back towards the hut at her side, but reached out to stop her once they reached the doorway. She turned to him, a surprised look on her face. But he was getting wisps of her emotions once more, and underneath that surprise was something he hadn't expected to face: desire.

The knowledge that she was attracted to him as he was to her peeked his interest. It was dangerous, knowing this, and he was fully aware of the fact that he should back away and refrain from making this any worse on them then it already was. But there was another part of him that didn't want to back away; it wanted to leap head first into this thing he was forming with Shmi.

"That's because I don't want to go down there just yet."

Shmi caught her breath, turning to meet Qui-Gon's gaze. She knew it was dangerous, whatever this was that they were creating, but she couldn't seem to back away from him. There was something about this man that drew her to him, something that she couldn't and didn't want to escape.

He didn't know what had come over him; stopping her once he knew they were out of the others' line of view. All he'd known was that he wanted to be as alone as he could be with her for a moment, without any watchful eyes that might not approve or understand what they were witnessing.

The chatter from below, the loud and excited cheers, seemed to fade away. When brown eyes met blue, it was as though everything just faded away, like nothing more existed in that moment but the two of them on the porch.

Qui-Gon felt her emotions, suddenly more intense as she met his gaze. He watched as she caught her breath and held it for a moment before slowly letting it out. When her tongue slid out to wet her lips it was more than he could take, and all the invitation that he needed.

Before she had time to even think of reacting, his arms had slipped around her waist to pull her against him. He waited a moment, testing to see if she would push him away, but her hands merely held his shoulders tightly as she stared up at him.

He needed no more invitation than the look in her eyes.

Shmi didn't move as she looked up at Qui-Gon, staring into his blue eyes. Letting him kiss her would only cause pain in the end when he left, but it would give her something more to remember him by once he did leave. On top of that, she didn't think she'd ever craved a man's touch as she did his.

Slowly, giving her plenty of time to push him away, Qui-Gon leaned forward. He watched her the whole time, but when her eyes slipped closed and she tilted her face up he didn't wait any longer to lean in the rest of the way.

The first brush of his lips over hers had her freezing, standing completely still as he slid his lips over hers, back and forth a few times. When she relaxed against him once more, he covered her mouth with his and pressed his lips more firmly against her own.

Qui-Gon was just about to deepen the kiss further when his ears picked up the sound of someone coming inside and walking through the house. From the sound of it, they were headed toward the porch. A little use of the Force and he was easily able to determine that it was young Padme, probably in search of he and Shmi.

Shmi made a disappointed sound when Qui-Gon pulled away from her. When she opened her eyes, he pressed a finger to his lips in a sign know to most as a request for silence, and usually with good reason. Immediately, the distracted look disappeared and her eyes sharpened once more.

Listening for a moment, she too became aware of the sound of footsteps. Still in Qui-Gon's arms, she knew this wasn't how she wanted someone to find them. What was going on between them was only known to them, making it a secret and she liked it that way.

He released her, thinking the same thing as she was and took a step away before gesturing for her to lead the way. It seemed it was time for the two of them to go and congratulate young Anakin on his accomplishment in fixing the pod racer in time for the big race tomorrow.

Shmi glanced back at Qui-Gon; smiling in return to the quick smile he sent her as well as the wink. She chuckled to herself and grasped her skirt so she could lead the way down the steps to where they would probably run into the young and beautiful Padme.

She regretted that their private moment had been interrupted, but had to admit that it was probably for the best. She couldn't afford to become emotionally attached to the man when he was only going to leave in the next day or two.


	6. mass update

**PLEASE READ!**

I'm sorry that this isn't a real chapter, but I needed to get this out there for everyone reading my stories.

Shortly after my last update my computer got some sort of virus. I'm not sure if it's completely gone yet, but because of it I couldn't get on the internet, at all. I couldn't do anything on my computer, half the time it either wouldn't open anything or just wouldn't turn on at all. Because of this I haven't been able to work on anything (which has driven me crazy since it's my way pf relieving stress). My dad recently "fixed" it and, though it acts up a little (I've been testing it out the last couple days with some school related topics), now I think I should be able to get my stories updated.

I'm not saying I'm going to get them all updated right away, but I'll hopefully have them all updated (and maybe some new one-shots) out there in the next week or two.

When I get the next update ready for whichever story I probably won't delete this but just put the next chapter up. I'm not sure it it will send out an email to whoever has the story on alert, so checking in every now and then might be helpful if you want to read this.

I was able to check my email and saw some requests for the next chapter in different stories, so I'm hoping to be able to get to everything soon.

Sorry for the long wait everyone, but please be patient and understand that it might take me some time (especially if my computer starts acting up once more).

Thanks for everything, not getting reviews has driven me crazy because there are days when just a quick, kind word for some of you guys just makes my day. I don't care how you look at it, but whether you praise every word I write or give some constructive criticism (though I'm not always real fond of it, lol), I love getting reviews from readers.

MTFBWY (for Star Wars fans :D )...Dara Tavar


	7. Chapter 5 That Night

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I wrote a chapter but when I went to update it, I found out that I'd already written chapter four...for some reason that chapter wasn't on my computer. So, I had to start all over again. I went through my second version of chapter four and took bits and pieces from it, revising them and adding it to this chapter.**

**If you notice less mistakes here, it is (sadly) not because I've suddenly gotten enough time to reread my stories and check for mistakes before updating them...it is because I now have a beta reader. So, if you want to be nice like all my readers are (big smile), you could tell Teardrops of Sunlight thanks for making your reading a little easier.**

**Well, I've wasted enough of your time...and you're probably hoping I'll shut up, so...Enjoy!**

**MTFBWY...Dara Tavar  
**

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**Chapter Five- That Night**

Shmi smiled as she walked toward the porch. Stopping just inside the doorway, she watched as Anakin and Qui-Gon talked quietly, laughing and smiling at one another. It was good to see her son so happy, so excited. She was happy too, but once more, the thought of the man's leave rushed into her mind and her smile turned sad.

Qui-Gon glanced to the doorway where Shmi stood in time to see her smile turn sad. Wondering what had caused her happy expression to suddenly change, he distractedly told Anakin goodnight, still holding the chip in his hand.

When his mother motioned for him to come inside with a quick nod of her head, the young boy rolled his eyes and jumped to his feet, murmuring a quick goodnight in return before rushing off.

Qui-Gon watched in silence as Shmi sent him a small smile before following after her son. Once they were both out of sight, Qui-Gon slipped his communicator from his belt, inserted the small bloodstained chip and called his padawan, Obi-Wan.

It had been a while since he'd called the younger man, and he briefly wondered what he'd been forced to deal with for the day. Vaguely, he thought how his padawan wouldn't have had as bad a day as he had, forced to spend it with Padme, the ever-complaining queen in disguise. He would bet a whole year's pay that the decoy she'd left in her place on the ship wasn't half as annoying as the queen herself was. With a shake of his head, he acknowledged that she was still a child and, no matter how mature the young woman acted, he couldn't forget it.

"Obi-Wan," he said instantly when he knew his padawans had answered him.

"Yes, Master," came the young man's reply, relief in his voice. It was obvious that he'd been worried about

his mater being in the sandstorm today and why he'd not returned even after it had subsided.

"Make an analysis of this blood sample I'm sending to you," he answered, not bothering to explain the question in Obi-Wan's voice. There would be time for explanations later, but now it was time for business.

"Wait a minute…" There was a frown in his voice when he spoke, telling Qui-Gon that his padawan didn't want to just settle for the 'I'll tell you later' voice that his master was currently using on him.

"I need a midi-chlorian count," Qui-Gon explained shortly, sending a glance up to the stars shining brightly

overhead. Fleetingly, he wondered how long it had been since he'd see so many stars, since he'd bothered to gaze up at them while relaxing.

"All right, I've got it," Obi-Wan replied, resignation in his voice. It was apparent that he knew he only held his master's attention for a short period of time and that it was going to be spent on what the older man wanted it to be used for and not what he wanted to talk about.

"What are your readings?" Qui-Gon asked, focusing all his attention on his comlink and what his padawan was about to tell him. This was very important to him and could possibly determine what he intended to do in the near future, something he'd never spent much time thinking about but found constantly on his mind the past several hours…since he'd held Shmi in his arms on this very porch while the others had finished Anakin's pod.

He was quiet for a moment and when he finally spoke, he sounded confused, bewildered even. "Something must be wrong with the transmission."

"Here's a signal check," Qui-Gon replied quickly then waited tensely for the response he would get.

"Strange," Obi-Wan responded slowly, still sounding bewildered. "The transmission seemed to be in good order, but the reading is off the chart…over twenty thousand." He murmured something to himself, but Qui-Gon didn't catch what it was, and he was too wrapped up in his thoughts to care to ask what he'd said.

"That's it then," he murmured, almost to himself.

"Even Master Yoda doesn't have a midi-chlorian count that high!" he exclaimed, sounding more astonished than Qui-Gon was sure he'd ever heard him.

"No Jedi has," Qui-Gon replied off-handedly, once again lost in his thoughts. This could mean anything, but there was one possibility that stood far above the rest. He pondered the situation for a moment before his padawans said something to him once again.

"What does it mean?" Obi-Wan asked hesitantly.

"I'm not sure," he replied slowly. Normally he would divulge his thoughts to his padawans, but he didn't want his sometimes-naïve young apprentice to accidentally say something that he shouldn't. Or to contact the High Council with information he thought they should know but Qui-Gon wasn't ready to share.

The Jedi Knight glanced up in time to see Shmi in the doorway once again. It was apparent she'd not been there long, but it told him that he'd been so distracted that he'd not noticed her arrival. With an embarrassed glance at the ground, she started to move back into the kitchen.

"Goodnight, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon murmured quickly, ending the communication as Obi-wan began to protest. Completely forgetting about his padawan and the conversation he'd just finished, all his thoughts centering on the woman backing away from him. He wasn't sure what it was about her, but whenever he saw her, his thoughts scattered and he could think of nothing but her.

"Please," he started, stopping her in her retreat and causing her to glance up to meet his gaze, surprised. "Join me."

Shmi could see the longing in his gaze, knew he wanted her to willingly go to him, and knew he wanted exactly what she wanted…but they couldn't have it. How could they when tomorrow was the race, when he would soon be leaving her forever, never to return?

Sighing, she considered telling him no, turning and leaving him where he stood to look after her and know that was her final word. She wouldn't start something that was doomed from the start. But, then again, they'd already started something hadn't they?

Her mind brought up the kiss they'd shared earlier that day. It had been short, only whetting her appetite for him, and she knew anything else would be much more than just that small kiss he'd given her. Was she strong enough to grasp what he offered her, what she wanted so badly that she ached for it? She wasn't sure, but she was tempted to step onto the porch and into his arms again, to revel in what she knew she would find there.

Qui-Gon had sworn to himself after the kiss they'd shared that he would keep her at bay, but he didn't seem to be doing anything about it. He continued to flirt with the danger she represented, finding himself drawing closer and closer to her. How could he not give in? Just looking at her was a temptation almost too great to resist.

"Can you help him?" Shmi asked, moving onto the porch, closer to him. She may not have heard all his conversation, but she'd heard enough to know that her son was powerful, more powerful than Qui-Gon had assumed. Maybe this would change things; maybe he would change his mind. So, instead of giving into what she wanted, she put her son before herself as she'd always done.

Her sweet voice drew him from his thoughts. There was a hope in her eyes that pulled at his heart. He wanted to swear to her that he would get both her son and her out of this place, wanted to give her anything she asked of him. It was such a fierce emotion that he instinctively pulled away from it, but only for a moment. Jedi weren't accustomed to such strong emotions as this. In many ways, their feelings ran deeper than most others did, but in this matter it was a different story.

Experienced Jedi tried to avoid such things, knowing the dangers it brought. But he was failing. Instead of killing the emotions like he knew he should, he kept poking at them, seeing how deep they went, He was flirting with danger, and he knew he needed to back off.

The need to give her whatever she wished was almost overpowering. It took him a moment, but soon Qui-Gon saw the need to rid himself of these feelings, and killing her feelings was the fastest way to kill his own.

"I'm afraid not," he stated, almost coldly, the exact words he'd told her before. That mask was back in place, and he was going to fight to keep it there. If hurting her now kept both of them from being hurt in the near future, then he was going to do it. "I told you before that I can't. He's too old."

Tears formed in her eyes at his cold response, at his uncaring expression, but she forced them away. The way he'd said the words had been so cold, so unfeeling, that they cut her to the bone. It was so much worse now, after the gentleness he'd shown her before, and she almost couldn't bear it. She'd heard the message there; he wasn't willing to help her son. He had more important things to do. But the look in his eyes confused her. He said he didn't want to help, but those deep blue eyes seemed to swear that he wanted to help her.

The look of utter defeat in her eyes tore his heart in two, and when he spotted the tears welling up he lost all control. How was he to push her away when, seeing the look on her face that he'd made in doing so, all he wanted to do was pull her close and never let go?

Shmi backed away, needed to get away from him. "I'm sorry I asked. I shouldn't have done such a thing when you have much more important matters to attend to. Forgive me, Master Jinn," she murmured quietly, anger entering her voice. "I overstepped my boundaries in thinking that someone like you would waste your time with lowly slaves such as my son and I. Please, forgive me."

"Shmi," he called after her. The 'Master Jinn' had chipped at his wall, but her insinuation that he was too good to care about her was just too much for him. He was straining under all the tension between them and knew instinctively that she was too. Whatever it was between them was just too great for either of them to fight off much longer. It may have only been hours that he'd known her, but right now he felt as if he'd known her for an eternity.

After everything, he needed to hear her say his name, needed her to understand just how much he wanted to be with her…just how much he care about her. It was too great to fight, this need. And, frankly, he was tired of fighting himself about her. Screw the Code; he was giving into his own feelings for a while. It wouldn't be the first time he'd done it, and he was certain it wouldn't be the last.

When she didn't stop he repeated himself, voice harder. "_Shmi!_" It was more of a command for her to stop,

To turn back around, to give in to him.

She slowly turned around. Her heart was racing in her chest as she turned to face him. It wasn't fear that had the blood rushing through her veins like fire; it was something else, something much more feminine. Deep inside her, need curled around itself, trying to fight and break free of the hold she had on it.

She wanted; no needed him like she'd never needed someone before. She didn't want to fight off the feelings anymore. Who would truly be hurt if she slipped, let them free for just a few moments? At least then she would have some memories to hold onto when this stranger was gone.

She was smart enough to know that she wasn't angry at him over not trying harder to help her son. She knew he was bound by rules, that he had a mission that he needed to complete. She knew he had responsibilities, that he couldn't just drop everything to come rushing to her rescue and whisk her off to a better life. She was angry with herself for putting so much pressure on him, forcing him to reply coldly.

But right now, angry and hurt, she didn't care that it was herself that she was upset with. He'd hurt her with his cold words, so now she wanted him to hurt as well. She didn't move closer to him, didn't give in as he wished she would. Instead, she stood her ground and glared at him, eyes ablaze with fury and desire.

Qui-Gon moved forward, never taking his eyes off Shmi as she stood her ground. Her eyes were bright, dancing almost with two emotions he easily recognized as anger and desire. It seemed he wasn't the only one fed up of this battle; he wasn't the only one who was on the verge of giving in.

She watched as, with lethal grace, he moved toward her. His muscles flexed as he clenched his fists at his side, almost as if he were fighting with the urge to grab her. When he stopped barely an inch away from her, he scent enveloped her, assaulting her senses until she could concentrate on nothing but him. Not that she'd been able to think about much else, but now there was no chance of it.

Qui-Gon stopped in front of her, giving her plenty of time to move away from him. When she didn't move away but instead, seemed to lean a little closer, he moved in, backing her against the wall. Having her so close, pressed against him, was almost too much to bear. This was much more than flirting with danger, this was jumping right into it.

She fit perfectly, almost as if she were made for him. Clenching her fists at her side, out of anger of the urge to touch him she wasn't sure, but she thought it was probably a mix of both, but leaning more towards the latter of the two.

She wondered at what she was supposed to do, never having been in a situation like this. Did she just let him do what he wished or should she do what she wished? Again, she wasn't sure, but she knew that she wished to touch him. It was an overwhelming need and she wasn't sure if she could continue fighting it when he was pressed so close.

He dipped his head low, pressing his hands on either side of her waist. The muscles in his arms flexed again and she found her gaze riveted on the sight. Taking a deep breath of her scent, he brushed his lips against the shell of her right ear. "Say my name," he whispered to her.

She drew in a shuddering breath, her heart pounding so furiously that she wasn't certain he'd be able to stand his ground against the onslaught. She could feel his heartbeat, strong and fierce, cased inside his hard, muscular chest as he pressed against her own soft breast.

"Qui-Gon," she whispered huskily. The word was like fuel to a fire, the moment she said it they were both lost to their feelings.

Qui-Gon covered her mouth with his own, coaxing her lips to part so he could kiss her properly. It wasn't gentle like before. No, this kiss was fierce, mixing their desire and fury into it. This was no genteel testing of the waters like that day; instead it was a battle. They'd been fighting all day against their feelings, but now they were fighting each other in a battle for dominance, a showing of how much they wanted each other, of how angry they were.

She tasted sweet, more so now that he was able to really kiss her, and immediately he was lost all the more. If he'd been capable of thoughts, he would have thought to pull away from her, to put some much-needed distance between them. This went beyond anything he'd ever known; he'd never felt a connection as strong.

It was like a bolt of lightning shot from the clear blue sky and Shmi them the moment their lips touched. She had never felt so alive, had never known she could feel so alive. Without thought, she grabbed his shoulders, holding on for dear life, as if the thought of letting him go was too much for her to handle. She clung to him, like she would cling to a rock or raft in a vast ocean, as if he were the only thing keeping her

afloat.

He started to pull back, as if he'd suddenly realized what he was doing, but Shmi wasn't ready to give up. Biting his lip in annoyance that he was trying to pull away from her and anger over the fight they'd almost had, she opened her eye to glare at him. A twinge of guilt slid through her at the drop of blood that formed on his lip, but she pushed it away. He deserved it after purposefully hurting her before.

Qui-Gon licked the drop of blood from his lip, meeting Shmi's unwavering gaze. So, she wasn't ready to stop yet. Well, that was fine with him, because neither was he. Leaning back in, he used his body to pin her against the wall while he kissed her with renewed vigor. She wanted his fury? Well fine, he would give it to her.

Shmi gasped, her breath mingling with Qui-Gon's. If she'd thought his kiss had been furious before, she didn't know what to describe this one as. This was hard and forceful, demanding. And she loved every moment of it. Hands in his hair, she kissed him with every bit as much force as he did her.

Finally, he pulled away from her. Not completely away, just freed his mouth so they could both get some much-needed air. Neither was angry anymore, all their fury having been used up in the last kiss, leaving none for afterward.

She gasped, chest heaving as she stared into his burning blue eyes. Vaguely, she thought his eyes looked like blue fire. How could he have such power over her, when she'd known him so little? Her knees went weak at a glance from him, he stole her breath with one word, and a simple touch had her heart forgetting to beat in her chest. She didn't know if she wanted to push him away and go back to the life she'd had before she'd met him, or if she wanted to pull him close and revel in the way her life had changed so quickly.

"We can't…" he whispered, breathing hard.

His eyes were tormented. It was easy to see that, while he was saying what they both knew was true, he felt what she did: helplessness when it came to fighting this _thing_ they had between them. Besides, how could they when they wanted it so badly?

"I know," she whispered in return, her eyes slipping closed when he pressed his forehead to hers.

"_I can't fight you."_ The words were whispered so quietly, she almost thought she imagined them. It had sounded like Qui-Gon's voice, but she thought she'd heard it inside her head. Maybe she'd imagined it.

Opening her eyes, she knew she hadn't imagined them. But she also knew, somehow, that they had been in her head. He'd put them there. She would have imagined that, knowing someone could put thoughts into her head, would be frightening, but everything was different where Qui-Gon was concerned. She liked the idea of him being able to read her mind or tell her his thoughts without speaking. She wasn't sure why, but she did.

"And I can't fight you," she told him in return, still clinging tightly to him.

Remembering what the next day would bring, his departure, put a bit of a sobering thought into the adults heads. It was possible that they would never see each other again.

A small smile curved his lips, hiding the sad thoughts leaving brought on, as he leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to her lips. "At least I know I'm not in this alone."

With that, he backed away, putting some distance between them and, after sending her a slight nod, walked inside, away from her and everything that had just happened between them.

Just before he disappeared from sight he glanced back at her, eyes still burning with a look that almost swore he would return to her. She hoped he would before the night was through. It was new to her, but the thought of spending the night alone in her cold bed wasn't a pleasant one. She would much rather spend it huddled in warmth with the Jedi Knight who'd just left her.

Shmi touched her lips, thinking of the first kisses he given her and then the small one she'd received before he had left. The latter had seemed almost wrong after the first, as if it wasn't right and he should have done something else. She longed to go after him, to talk about what had just happened, but she held back. If the look he'd given her had meant anything, he would be coming to her. The thought had her almost shaking in excitement. This was all new to her, but she couldn't imagine it being with anyone but him.

With a sigh, Shmi walked to the edge of the porch and stared up at the bright, sparkling stars high above her head. She had to wonder what she was going to do about the man inside. He threw her through loops, but constantly seemed to be right there with her.

How were they ever going to keep away from each other until he left that futile killing point that was hanging over their heads? She knew they wouldn't be able to, knew that it he didn't come to her by the end of the night she would surely go to him. He would be gone soon, off exploring the galaxy while she remained behind to work until she died. The thought of him leaving was always on her mind, in the back of her head whispering its woeful tune. The problem was, the more she was around him; the more that tune broke her heart. How was she going to survive him leaving?


	8. alert!

**This is a massive update for anyone reading my stories:**

**It was recently brought to my attention that someone had stolen one of my stories and, only making the smallest amount of changes possible, was passing it off on their own. I alerted the site to this plagiarism, but so far nothing has been done. The other author updated their story recently, telling me that the site has so far done nothing concerning this problem. If nothing is done about this within the next few weeks, I've come to the decision that I will delete my account on here and never again put anything on this website.**

**To anyone who still wishes to read what I write, I will happily accept a message with an email or even if you just want to give me your profile url and I'll be happy to continue writing elsewhere and send you the link where you can find my stories as long as no one steals my stuff to post it on here (if there are any particular kind of stories, a certain movie or book, tell me and I'll message you whenever I write something to do with it). If I find out something like that happens, I'll be done writing online for sure.**

**I hope this matter is resolved, because I love writing on here and getting reviews, I only wish I got more. ****I get author alerts or story alerts, but I would love more reviews. In reality, reviews only trickle in little by little and while it's nice to be put on someone's alert list, that doesn't tell me how I'm going or give me anything to think about doing for the next chapters. If you like my stories, please REVIEW and tell me how much you like them, things you want me to do, suggestions for a spin-off story(or stories)...anything will be fine.**

**Well, lets just hope this gets fixed.**

**Dara Tavar  
**


	9. Chapter 6 Late Meetings

**Sorry it's taken so long to get to the next update. I actually started out with something different, what will actually be the next chapter, until I looked back at chapter five and reread the ending. There's very little talking in this chapter, only one line if I'm thinking correctly, but I wanted this chapter to be about something more than the words they share, I wanted to show that what Qui and Shmi share goes beyond what words can express between two people.**

**Well I hope you like this chapter and I should be uploading the next chapter soon, hopefully within the next couple of days. Anyways, enough from me. Enjoy!**

**MTFBWY...DT**

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**Chapter Six- Late Meetings**

Qui-Gon moved through the marketplace. For the most part, everything was shut up for the night, but a few of the places of business were still open. There were a few cantinas he'd passed with lights shining brightly inside and he considered going into one for a drink or two. He wanted his mind off of Shmi, but knew that before the night was through he would find her again; fighting her was just becoming too hard for him to do.

Sighing, he thought back to the women who had been in his life before. Never had there been someone who meant so much to him, who had such a powerful hold over him. He couldn't resist her anymore, but if he wanted to try he needed to stay away from her small home and the invitations she offered him. He knew the dangers going down that road presented, for he knew that she was inexperienced and their departure from one another was coming upon them fast.

It was thoughts of that departure that had him turning around, that had him hurrying in the direction of her small hut, his long strides eating up the distance between where he was and where she waited for him. If his time with her was limited, he decided that he should make the most of it. He'd lived most of his life for the Code and the Jedi ways, only breaking the rules when he deemed it absolutely necessary to save someone's life.

Well, it was necessary now because he didn't know if he could live a life if he didn't find out what it would be like with Shmi in it.

Qui-Gon was just passing the entrance to one of the cantinas when he heard a voice he clearly recognized coming from inside. It was that Toydarian who owned Shmi and her son, Watto.

Unable to help himself, Qui-Gon drew to a halt and slipped inside the cantina even as he pulled the hood of his cloak up to cover his face. Sliding into one of the booths behind the flying creature, he ordered a drink when the waitress came to his table before waving her away with the thought in her head that she shouldn't mention his presence to anyone and, if someone did ask, to say he was a late night regular that had been away on business for a while.

Sipping the silky blue liquid the woman sat in front of him, Qui-Gon listened to the Toydarian and his companions. They were betting, what Shmi had already told him was the creature's weakness. It seemed the slave owner always carried his die around with him.

Studying the three colored die, Qui-Gon began forming a plan.

So the Toydarian always had them? Well, tomorrow he would put that to the test. If the creature had this die, he would trick him into betting Shmi and her son to him. The thought made Qui-Gon's heart skip a beat. Shmi could be free, could leave this place and come with him if she chose.

Throwing his head back, Qui-Gon finished his drink and laid the money to pay for it out on the table. As he stood, he caught the slave owner promise to bring the die with him tomorrow so he could bet against his companions while they watched the race.

Smiling to himself, Qui-Gon slipped out of the cantina as quietly as he'd entered. Tomorrow he would be certain the Toydarian had the die on him and he would bet the little creature the Naboo ship, not that it was his to be offering as a trade but he didn't care, for if the Toydarian won and the two slaves he'd become so attached to for if he won.

Qui-Gon believed full heartedly that the boy could win the race. With the help of the Force, anything was possible, even for the young boy who knew nothing about using his mighty gifts. From what Qui-Gon had seen, the boy was working them out little by little, but he still needed the training that he would only get as a Jedi. And Qui-Gon's resolve to see the boy trained had only strengthened.

It may have been because of his mother, but Qui-Gon was determined to see Anakin to the Jedi Temple where he would begin training.

Qui-Gon returned to Shmi's small slave hovel, slipping in quietly to keep anyone from overhearing him. Tomorrow was a big day and everyone needed their sleep.

As he moved though the house, silently making his way to Shmi's room, he paused at the faint glow coming from the cracks around the edges of the door. Pausing, he merely stared at the door for a moment, thinking of everything this moment meant, of everything this moment would change. He was ready, but the question was: was Shmi ready for what their decisions were bound to change?

Slipping into his borrowed chambers, Qui-Gon silently slid past the sleeping Gungan and removed his outer tunic. Leaving his inner tunic on, he left the tunic hanging open and moved back out of the room and across the hall to where Shmi's light glowed softly, like a beacon to a fly.

Lifting his hand, Qui-Gon quietly rapped on the door with his knuckles. He listened as a soft rustling noise came from the other side of the door. Just as he was about to turn away, thinking perhaps Shmi had gone to bed waiting for him and had just left a light on, he heard her quiet call.

"Come in," Shmi called out quietly, nervous and excited all at the same time. She sat on the stool in front of her tiny stand, a small brush in one hand and a few strands of her hair in the other. She paused as she thought about how she might look, glancing down at the old sleep shirt in dismay and wishing she had something nicer to wear. When the door slid open, she pushed those thoughts away and concentrated on the man standing in her bedroom doorway.

She'd never thought that this would happen, never thought that a man would be standing in her bedroom, a bedroom she had clearly invited him into. It amazed her, but she wouldn't change a thing. This was the moment she'd been waiting for, the moment she'd never known she'd been waiting for.

Qui-Gon froze in the doorway to Shmi's sleeping quarters. She sat at the small stand and stool against the wall near her sleeping cot, cheeks flushed and eyes eager yet hesitant. The nightshirt she wore was long, coming to end just below her knees. It was old, he could easily tell, but to him she looked like an angel in a flowing white, gossamer gown sitting there.

She clutched a brush tightly in one hand, her other fingers curled loosely around her hair. It was obvious that she'd been brushing her long, dark hair while waiting for him, something he'd regretted he'd had to make her do. But, then again, he couldn't have just walked into her room while everyone was awake, because then they would know what was going on between the two of them.

Shmi swallowed hard, eyes roaming over Qui-Gon's exposed chest. When he moved into the room, closing the door quietly behind him, her fingers tightened on the brush she still clung to. While she'd been waiting for this, it was something new for her and, therefore, a bit frightening. Besides, this man was leaving tomorrow and she was unlikely to see him again.

Qui-Gon could see that Shmi was a little afraid, and he couldn't blame her. This was something new for her, something she'd never experienced, and so it frightened her a little even though she wanted it as well.

Reaching out, he took the brush from her hand and, with gentle fingers, slid her hair from her other hand and moved to sit behind her. Running the brush through her hair, he hoped to calm her down and put her at ease. If this was going to happen, he needed to make the tension go away.

Slowly Shmi relaxed, loving the feel of Qui-Gon's fingers running through her hair. It amazed her that fingers she knew could kill could also be so soft and gentle. When those magical fingers moved to her shoulders, the brush gone in an instant, Shmi let out a low groan as he massaged her worries away.

Qui-Gon smiled to himself as Shmi relaxed under his hands. They'd started nothing yet and had so far spoken nothing to one another, but she'd become much more willing than before. Moving his hands down her back, he worked the tense muscles until they turned to jelly under his hands.

Slowly, those fingers turned from massaging to caressing. They ran up her back and across her sides, over her shoulders and down her arms until Shmi was ready for them to move on to the real reason Qui-Gon wa sin her room in the middle of the night.

He'd had the patience to make her relax, caring enough about her to see to her needs before even thinking about himself. It made her lose another piece of her heart to him. Shmi wasn't sure how much more she could give him, but was quickly coming to realize that she was falling in love with the man. She knew it was dangerous, but coming to care for him was as easy as breathing to her.

Qui-Gon moved around Shmi reaching down to take her hand and draw her to her feet. Leaning down he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips that was slower than ever before. The kiss was so sweet it made her heart ache, but filled with such promise that it made her toes curl.

When he lifted his head, they were both hungry for one another. This was nothing like before. There was no anger now, only longing and the knowledge that their time was limited.

Holding her hand, Qui-Gon drew Shmi to the bed where they would leave everything else behind and only worry about one another. Once there, nothing else matter and, for a short while, they could leave the world behind and only think about the happiness they could only find in each other's arms.

Tomorrow's worries would be dealt with then, but for now nothing was more important that their feelings and the beauty that would result in their being together. This moment was what was important right now and they were going to take it for what it was worth.


	10. Chapter 7 Waking Up

**I know this is a short chapter, but I really didn't have anything else to add to it. I had someone request I explain more about what happened in the last chapter (between the last one and this one-I won't explain any further), but this story will remain rated T as I planned and as was reqested when I started it. If I do explain what happened, I will do it as a one-shot and will post in my note when it's done. Well, I have nothing more to say so...Enjoy!**

**MTFBWY...DT**

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**Chapter Seven- Waking Up**

Shmi stretched, reaching her arms high above her head as she shook off the remnants of sleep still trying to hold her. Opening her eyes slowly, she smiled to herself as she thought about that night and the passion filled hours she'd spent with the most caring man she'd ever met. Glancing beside her, the smile slid from her face as she found the place where he'd slept, with those strong arms wrapped around her throughout the night, empty.

Reaching out, she hesitantly found that the empty space at her side had grown cold, telling her that Qui-Gon had been gone for some time.

Pushing away the disappointment that thought brought on, Shmi reminded herself that their relationship wasn't going to be long and that, very soon, he would be gone. On top of that, what had happened between them in the middle of the night had been a secret, something no one else in the house could find out about.

Bracing herself for meeting him out in the hall and having to pretend that nothing was going on between them, she raised her eyes from the sleep couch and saw something she hadn't expected. There, leaning against the wall next to the closed door, a slight smile curling his lips was Qui-Gon. He was fully dressed, except his cloak and utility belt, and watching her.

His arms dropped from where they'd been folded over his chest and he made his way to where she still lay on the sleep couch. Settling himself on edge of the bed beside her and leaned down, kissed her softly. Pulling back after a moment, he smiled down at her and whispered, "Good morning."

Shmi grinned up at him, starting to sit up before flushing and looking down. Clutching the sheet to her chest, she sat up, cheeks burning as she looked away from him. For a moment, she'd forgotten the fact that she was lying there with only a sheet to cover herself. "Good morning," she murmured quietly in return.

Qui-Gon chuckled reaching out to brush his knuckles across her cheek slowly. His gentle touch brought her eyes back to his and caused her lips to curve sweetly. Smiling in return, he slid his fingers into her hair, using his careful hold to draw her into another, deeper kiss.

Shmi sighed, her eyes still closed, as he pulled back. His breath fanned her face as he gently kissed her closed eyes. When she looked at him, he was smiling at her softly, such caring in his eyes that it melted her heart. When his eyes drifted down and the look in his eyes changed, she glanced down to before sucking in a quick breath and grasping for the fallen sheet, once more covering herself.

Giving her one last, quick kiss, Qui-Gon pulled away and stood. "We don't have the time now, sweet. The others will be getting up soon and if I stay in here any longer, breakfast will be ruined," he told her, making his way to the door.

"Breakfast?" she asked with surprise.

He glanced over his should at her, smiling at her surprised look. "Yes, breakfast. That is the first meal of the day in which people gather around a table once they've woken up and enjoy food with one another. It's the most important meal of the day, making sure you have energy for the rest of the day."

Shmi made a face at him. "I know what breakfast is, silly—I'm just not used to someone else making it. It's always me doing the cooking and the cleaning, not someone else, as it is only Anakin and I here."

He smiled at her. "Well, you need not worry about making breakfast today. I made Trandoshani flatcakes which should be done any second now." At her surprised look, he guessed she'd never had the Trandoshan dish. "They're not bad, but I'm not the best at making them. My specialty is Corellian hotcakes with a side of Poptree syrup and a heated glass of Kuul milk. One day I'll have to make it for you," he told her before slipping from the room.

Shmi smiled at the thought, warmed that he wished for her to be in his future. Slowly, the smile fell from her lips as she thought about that. She knew it was forbidden for him to have attachments as a Jedi, knew she wouldn't be able to stay with him and, more importantly, knew he would be leaving soon.

Pushing those depressing thoughts away, she stood and began to dress. She found her nicest clothing, which wasn't very nice to begin with seeing as the material was coarse and worn from her work. She was relieved that the stains on it were minimal, mostly from her having been able to wash the away.

Leaving her room, she could hear the others moving about in their borrowed rooms as they readied themselves for the day ahead of them. She could hear C-3PO chattering softly to R2-D2 down the hall.

Moving into the kitchen, she found Qui-Gon standing at the counter, a plate stacked with food sitting before him as he dished the remaining flatcakes onto it. When the corner of his mouth turned up without him looking at her, she knew he'd sensed her presence.

Knowing there was no sneaking up on him, she moved forward, looking over his shoulder at what he was doing.

Turning from the counter, he held a piece of food before her, gently commanding, "Try it." When she hesitated, his grin grew a little wider. "It won't hurt you. See, watch," he instructed, taking a piece for himself and popping it into his mouth.

As he chewed, Shmi slowly leaned forward to take the food from him, her tongue sliding over the pad of his thumb as she stared into his eyes. When he took a step forward, pulling her into his arms, she quickly swallowed the tasty morsel, knowing he intended to kiss her.

Just as she'd suspected, his head lowered and he took her lips, coaxing her into a deep kiss that curled her toes and had her wishing it were night once more and they had hours to spend alone in one another's arms.

When he pulled back, she made a sound of disappointment that made him chuckle before whispering, "The young Padme is leaving her room. You may wish to pull yourself together before she gets here and sees you acting and looking like Andorian jelly in my arms. She might suspect something is going on."

Shmi pulled away, making a face at him and sticking her tongue out. Laughing, she carried the plate of food to the table and sat it down in the middle. It amazed her how young she felt because of Qui-Gon, how playful. This wasn't like her at all but, then again, she'd never really had someone that she could be playful with. She had to be a mother to Anakin and a slave to Watto. Beyond them, she talked to no one but C-3PO and he wasn't even a real person. He didn't know how to be playful and have fun.

And none of them offered her the kind of fun Qui-Gon did, the kind of fun she's needed, not as a mother or slave, but as a woman. She never known she needed someone like him, but Qui-Gon was showing her many things that she'd not known she'd needed in her life until now.

Turning around, she watched as the others came forth. Smiling to herself, she thought of how different her life had become. No longer were her days filled with sorrow until her son came home to their small, empty home. Even if it was only temporary, her house was filled and, while none of them may be able to feel like, she could feel the love overflowing and filling the house all the more.

As she watched them, she thought of what the day had in store for them. Very soon they would leave; the world would invade her newfound happiness and take away the people who had come to mean the most to her. Padme was like the daughter she'd never had, sweet but unyielding and opinionated. Jar Jar was like a dear friend, silly and in need of protection because of his innocence and kindness. R2-D2 was the companion for C-3PO that he'd never really had.

And then there was Qui-Gon. He filled her with such joy that she feared she would soon burst from it. She couldn't deny her feelings, couldn't deny that she'd fallen in love with the Jedi with whom she could never really have a relationship and life with so long as he remained a Jedi.

Pushing those morose thoughts away, Shmi swore she would only think on happy things now. For the time being, she wouldn't think of his departure. For now, she would allow her feelings for him to keep her warm and happy, while also reveling in the compassionate and caring looks he sent her way when the others weren't watching.


	11. Chapter 8 The Race

**Here's the next update. I don't really have anything to say, so I'll let you get straight to it. Enjoy!**

**DT**

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**Chapter Eight- The Race  
**

Shmi sent Qui-Gon a nervous look, wringing her hands in worry as he entered the viewing platform. She glanced over at the other two passengers, Padme and Jar Jar, wondering how she could talk privately with the Jedi without the others overhearing their conversation. The moment Qui-Gon was on the platform it began to rise like an elevator.

"Is he nervous?" she asked quietly when he came to stand beside her, biting her lip as she thought of the dangerous race her son was about to enter. Oh, why had she let him talk her into this? She knew why, and it was because the man before her needed help and, while she barely knew the first thing about him, she knew she would never be able to deny him the help that he so needed.

"He's fine," Qui-Gon murmured reassuringly, sending her small smile. He hated to see the worry on her face as she glanced down at the ground to where her son and the other racers were getting ready. He knew there wasn't much he could do, but he would offer her whatever comfort she needed from him.

"You Jedi are far too reckless," Padme's voice cut through his thoughts. She was glaring at Qui-Gon, irritated with the Jedi but worried for the young boy risking his life for them at the same time. "The Queen—"

"The Queen is not here, is she?" Qui-Gon challenged. When Padme didn't reply, instead turning back to the arena before them, he almost smiled to himself. She was good at pretending she wasn't the Queen, but the young girl couldn't fool him. She stood with a ridged spine, spoke with authority and held herself with the dignity of a Naboo royal. It had taken him barely any time to deduce that she was the Naboo Queen in disguise.

Shmi glanced up at Qui-Gon in worry as he turned his attention back to her. The compassion on his face melted her heart. She nodded, understanding his wish to comfort her, knew he wanted to reach out and draw her into his strong arms and offer her what he could, but also knew that he couldn't.

He was a Jedi; he couldn't have things like a wife or a family or even loved ones. He'd taken what he could, but they both knew if they went any farther he would be lost, there would be no turning back. She would have become an attachment and could, therefore, be used against him.

Already, if someone so dared, they could probably use her to get to him because, whether they wished to admit it or not, she was an attachment and he would do anything to keep her safe.

When the race started and Anakin finally got his pod started and moving, Shmi reached out to clutch at his hand without realizing it, seeking the silent comfort she could be given by just holding onto a small piece of him.

He glanced down at her small hand incased in his, tightening his hold a little as he looked at her, eyes wide as she fearfully chewed on her lower lip. The other hand held a small viewing screen in a death grip, which she raised so they could watch it once the blue and white pod her son controlled was out of sight. Before the others noticed them, he quickly raised their entwined hands and pressed a quick kiss to the backs of her knuckles.

Shmi tried to smile at Qui-Gon, knowing he was giving her reassurance. He lowered their hands and she let go of him, glancing to the others as they moved around her to see the small screen. She met his gaze as he backed away, letting them crowd nearer to her before sitting down to meditate.

As the race progressed, Shmi scanned the landscape for any sign of the racers, wondering where her little boy was now. Padme stood by her side, worried gaze moving along with Shmi's, and Jar Jar stood off to the side annoying Fanta for information about the race. Qui-Gon still sat behind them, deep in meditation.

As the crowd screamed, she looked over to Watto and his companions, watching as they laughed and knowing it was because they believed her son was going to lose.

When Anakin's racer came speeding past the creatures filming the race as he grew closer to moving on to another lap, she yelled for joy along with Padme and Jar Jar. When she heard Qui-Gon's cheer as well, she glanced back to see that his eyes were no open. He looked up from the race track to send her a warm smile.

As more time passed and so did the racers, Qui-Gon and Padme started to look a little worried for they had yet to see Anakin pass again.

"He musta crash-ud," Jar Jar murmured behind them, looking just as worried as they were. When the others glanced at him, not looking happy by his comment, he grew quiet and flushed, embarrassed by his own comment.

"Here he comes!" Padme cried, pointing down at the track below them in excitement. He was in sixth place now and moving up through the field at a good pace. If he continued, there was a good chance that he could win.

The tension in watching this was unbearable for Shmi and Padme, but Anakin continued forward until he was quickly in second place, right behind the crafty Sebulba. He was running neck and neck with the cruel creature as they sped over the rough terrain.

As they passed, moving on to the third and final lap, the group cried out in joy, cheering Anakin on from where they stood in the viewing platform high above.

When Qui-Gon glanced over to where the slave owner sat with his companions, he noticed that the Toydarian was staring to grow worried, his gaze moving rapidly over the track.

When the race was finished and Anakin came out victorious, he moved away from the celebrating group and sought out the slave owner, keeping his joy in check at the thought of what all he'd won in their bet. Coming to a stop at the doorway of Watto's box, he watched as several aliens left, laughing as they counted their money.

"You! You swindled me!" the slave owner cried out in rage as he flew forward, beady eyes locked on Qui-Gon. He flew so close to the man he'd lost his bet to, putting his face right up against the mans. "You knew the boy was going to win! Somehow, you knew it! I lost everything," he lamented, anger over having actually lost this bet battling with sorrow over knowing just how much he'd lost.

Qui-Gon simply smiled in return, keeping his cool under the Toydarian's fire. It wasn't hard, of course, considering that Shmi and Anakin were now free, able to do whatever they wished. "Whenever you gamble, my friend, eventually you'll lose," he replied easily. "Bring the parts to the main hanger. I'll come by your shop later so you can release the boy and his mother."

"You can't have them!" Watto cried, almost desperate now. How could he let go of his most prized slaves, both of them? "It wasn't a fair bet!"

Qui-Gon turned serious. There was no way he was going to be swindled out of what he'd won. He wasn't going to let Shmi and her son continue to be slaves when he could free them now. "Would you like to discuss it with the Hutts? I'm sure they can settle this."

"No, no!" he cried, shaking his head quickly. He knew well enough that the Hutts would side with the man, saying that he'd won the bet and so Watto needed to give him what he'd promised. "I want no more of your tricks! Take them!"

Qui-Gon watched as the Toydarian flew off, angry and upset over his losing a bet. Turning away, he looked back to where everyone was celebrating Anakin's winning the race. When he noticed Shmi looking around, confused, he smiled. She was looking for him. She raised her gaze and their eyes met. He smiled at her and raised a hand, which caused her to smile and do the same.

He would wait until later to tell them the news. He would wait until after he visited Watto and the slave owner released them both into his care.


	12. Chapter 9 The Ship

**Okay, two things to apologize for: 1- that this chapter has taken so long to write, 2- that this chapter is kind of short. I was going to do more, but I like how I end it and want to save anything else for later in the next chapter. There's no too much "Smui-Gon" (as a review terms it before, lol), but I'm going to try and fit some more into the next chapter.**

**I will eventually do the story/short spin-off about Qui and Shmi's night together (I was looking through reviews earlier and was reminded of it) but it probably won't be until after I finish my other chapter story _He Rescued Her_, which is almost done-trying to finish it soon because there's only two more chapters for it. I'm not sure about this one, but when I feel the ending is coming, I'll warn you so you can "brace yourselves."**

**Anyways, enough from me and...Enjoy!**

**MTFBWY...DT**

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**Chapter Nine- The Ship**

"Ah, gee, enough of this," Anakin complained even as he smiled up at Jar Jar when the Gungan pulled back from hugging him. When Padme moved forward with a small laugh to give him a hug as well, his cheeks flushed bright red and he stopped complaining.

Shmi laughed at the look on her young son's face when the object of all his attentions moved forward to bestow a hug upon him. "It's so wonderful, Anni. You have brought hope to those who have none. I'm so very proud of you," she told her boy with a grin.

"We owe you everything," Padme told him with a smile of her own.

Anakin smiled up at her. "Just feeling this good was worth it."

Shmi glanced to Qui-Gon as he stood off a little ways from them, finishing his work with the eopies he has just harnessed to a container filled with parts to his ship. He worked quietly, but there was something different. She knew he was happy that Anakin had won, for multiple reasons, but there was something else about him too. She couldn't quite tell what it was, but she wasn't going to give up.

There was an excitement about him. She could see it in his eyes, in the way he nearly smiled sometimes, but she wasn't sure why. She would have to ask him later, because now she just didn't have the time. He was going to be off to his ship to give them the parts so it would be repaired by the time he'd finished up here.

At that thought her heart sank, and she felt the urge to cry. She wanted to cling to him and ask him not to go, but wouldn't bring herself to do something like it. She didn't want him thinking of her as a weak woman that he needed to always be there for. He had obligations and responsibilities that she was not going to make him give up. If he chose to give up the life he had now to start a new one with her that would be his choice and not one she'd pressed upon him without leaving him another option.

Qui-Gon met Shmi's gaze. There was that sadness again, one caused by her thoughts of his departure, he knew, and he wished for nothing more than to go to her and pull her into his arms so he could comfort her and kiss away those worries, telling her of how she was a free woman and could do what she wished—or do what he wished and come with him, always at his side and in his heart.

The thought shocked him to the core. _In his heart?_ What surprised him the most wasn't the fact that he just realized he was in love with this gentle woman, but the fact that he'd really known it all along. He'd not admitted it to himself yet, but somewhere deep inside he'd known that he was falling in love with her. Almost as suddenly as the realization had washed over him, a warmth not caused by the heart of this desert planet followed, warming him from the inside out.

He'd almost forgotten what it was like to love someone as he loved Shmi, but this love was so much stronger than he'd ever felt. If Shmi was killed there would be no almost turn to the Dark Side for him as there'd been with Tahl—no, he would simply cease to exist because she was his life now. Without her, there would be no meaning to life and he would simply fade away, as if he'd never existed in the first place. He wasn't prone to dramatic actions, but he knew a life without Shmi was no life at all and, if he lost her, it would take no time for him to lose touch with reality.

Shaking off morose thoughts of what would happen to him if he lost Shmi, Qui-Gon turned his attention to the Gungan and the young Naboo queen—or _handmaiden_. "Padme, Jar Jar, let's go. We've got to get these parts back to the ship," he called out to them.

The small group walked over to where Qui-Gon stood by the eopies, telling one another good-bye in sad tones.

While the others were busy, Qui-Gon slipped to Shmi's side. He didn't touch her, didn't lean in to kiss her as he wished, he merely stood at her side and watched the others. "I'll be back at midday. Wait for me at you house and I'll see you there once I return the eopies." He looked down into her large hazel eyes. "There's something important I must tell you, but not now while everyone is here. Besides, there is something I must see to first, before I tell you anything, sweet."

Without another word he slipped away, leaving Shmi to stare after him with wide eyes. The term of endearment had warmed her more than words could describe, but she was also confused. What was so important that he needed to tell her? And what did he have to do before he could say anything? She wasn't sure, but she anticipated seeing him again, glad this wouldn't be their last meeting.

She watched as he climbed onto one of the beasts and waited, meeting her gaze one more before looking away as the others turned back to him. Padme climbed onto the eopie with Qui-Gon, holding tightly to him when the creature climbed to its feet. Jar Jar then climbed onto the second, sliding off the other side before scrambling to get back on before the thing stood up on him.

Shmi slipped an arm around her son's shoulders, lifting a hand with him to wave their new friends off.

"I'll return the eopies by midday," Qui-Gon called out to the owner of the beasts, casting just one more look to Shmi before riding off towards the ship.

_Back at the ship…_

Obi-Wan followed after his Master, quickening his steps so he could try to keep up. His Master always had long strides, but this was different, these steps were longer and quicker than his normal, easy-going pace. Something had his Master moving quickly.

"Really, Master," the knight began, hurrying after the older man. "There's no reason for you to return to the two. We can send someone else to return the eopies and with the two of us using the Force we can have the ship repaired in no time. While we hold some of the heavier objects into position, one of the men can put it in its place."

Qui-Gon didn't bother to stop, but continued on out of the ship and headed for the two beasts waiting not far away, a young man holding their reins as the Jedi Master had instructed him upon returning from the little town he'd been in for days now. "My young padawan, this is something I must do. I have unfinished business back there and I'm not leaving until I get the rest of what that slave owner and I bargained for."

"There's more coming?" Obi-Wan asked in confusion, staring up as his Master as the man climbed on one of the eopies. What more could he be going to get? They'd gotten all the parts they'd needed, so what was left? A thought slowly entered the young man's mind and he sighed, staring up at his friend and mentor. "Why do I sense we've picked up another life form?" he asked slowly.

"The boy is responsible for getting those parts," Qui-Gon replied, glancing down at his padawan, a stern look on his face. "And no life form is pathetic. I would think you would have learned that by now."

Obi-Wan watched as his Master turned the beasts away and stared back the way he'd come from not long before, moving the eopies a little faster now that they weren't carrying people and pulling a container of heavy metal parts. Shaking his head, he turned back to the ship and moved forward to help the men repair the damage that had been done so many days before.

Qui-Gon ushered the creatures a little faster, unable to contain his excitement. He'd not felt like this in so long, not experienced the joy Shmi stirred in him. He felt young again, playful even. It had been so long since he'd laughed with someone in the way he did with her. He wasn't playful with his padawan, a young man who was always striving to be perfect to gain the love and approval his Master had given him years before, but he still thought he needed to earn. With Shmi it was different—not only different from his relationship with those currently in his life, but also from his relationship with Tahl. He wasn't fond of the thought, but he knew he loved Shmi more than his deceased lover and companion.

His thoughts kept him occupied until he reached the small town. Leaving the eopies with their owner, Qui-Gon stared for his next destination. Walking through the door, he found the person he was seeking sitting at the table, waiting patiently with a look of depression of their face. Qui-Gon met their round eyes, moving forward and, bracing his on the table, leaned in close and whispered, "I won. Now I demand my payment—so deactivate the chips and give me what I came for."

Watto stare up at the man. While his voice hadn't been demanding or threatening, he knew this human meant business. There would be no way to get out of it and no way of tricking him or buying him off. He was giving up his two best slaves and there was nothing he could do about it. It was a sad day for the slave owner.


	13. Chapter 10 Safely Onboard

**Here's the next chapter of the story. There's not much Qui-Shmi-ness in this one (just some in the beginning and a tab bit later) but if I don't add a chapter between this one and the next one I have planned, there will be more of those two together. Well, I'm tired and I'm not really sure what else to say...so I'm done taking your time now with this. Enjoy!**

**DT**

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**Chapter Ten- Safely Onboard  
**

Qui-Gon shook his head slowly, glancing down at the boy by his side. After he'd returned the eopies and finished up his dealings with Watto, he'd started towards Shmi's home only to run into her son fighting with a small green, fish-looking alien who'd claimed young Anakin had cheated during the race. Once he convinced the boy he would never change the other child's opinion, he had walked away with Anakin following closely behind.

He was sure Shmi wouldn't want to know her son had been fighting over this.

Reaching under his poncho, Qui-Gon pulled out a handful of credits inside a small pouch. Looking down at Anakin, he held out the pouch for him to take. "These are yours," he clarified when Anakin merely looked down on the thing in confusion, as if it were something he'd never seen before. "We sold the Pod."

The boy was beaming now. "Yes!" he cried happily before rushing forward when his home came into view. In the door he ran with Qui-Gon not far behind. "Mom!" he called out, finding her cleaning up. She stopped when he burst into the room and turned her attention to him. "He sold the Pod. Look at all the money we have!" he told her excitedly as he pulled the bag of coins out of his pocket where he'd stashed them so he could run.

"Oh, my goodness!" Shmi said on a gasp, wide eyes taking in the amount of money before her. This wasn't something she was used to as a slave. She's never had this much money since being sold into slavery, and she was sure that before her parents had never let her have this much—though she couldn't remember much of before and, therefore, couldn't be certain. "That's wonderful," she told him with a smile.

"And Anakin has been freed."

"What?" Anakin cried, spinning around to face Qui-Gon when he finally spoke.

"You're no longer a slave," he told the boy, smiling down at him.

Anakin jumped for joy, spinning happily about the room as he cried out his excitement. Shmi merely watched her son with a stunned expression, uncertain of what to say. He was free, her son. He wouldn't be forced to live this life, to grow up as she'd had to. He would be _free_ and able to do whatever he wished. This was all she'd ever wanted…well, up until meeting Qui-Gon.

"Did you hear that, Mom?" the boy asked, spinning to his mother with that wide, crooked grin of his. She only had the chance to nod before turning his attention back to Qui-Gon, staring up at the man who'd made his dreams come true. "Was that part of the prize, or what?" he asked.

Qui-Gon couldn't help the small twist that twisted his lips as he thought about the answer to that question. "Let's just say Watto has learned an important lesson about gambling," he simply said.

"Now you can make your dreams come true, Annie. You're free!" she told him excitedly, but her eyes were sad. Turning to Qui-Gon, she gave him a worried look. "Will you take him with you? Is he to become a Jedi?" she asked, looking uncertain. She knew this was Anakin's dream, but the life of a Jedi was dangerous and not an easy one. That much she did know.

"Our meeting was not a coincidence. Nothing happens by accident," was his simple reply before he turned those blue eyes on the boy before him. "You are strong with the Force, but you may not be accepted by the Council," he told him honestly. He didn't wish to lie to the boy, so he was going to tell him the true. His age could convince the Council not to train him, that he was too old and it would be too difficult.

"A Jedi!" Anakin cried, not paying attention to the _may not be accepted_ part. "Mighty blasters, you mean I get to do with you in your starship and everything?" he asked, wide eyes twinkling with excitement and a smile still pulling at his lips. It would be hard to convince him not to look forward to this.

Qui-Gon frowned a little, kneeling down next to the boy so they were eyelevel. "Anakin, training to be a Jedi will not be an easy challenge. And if you succeed, it will be a hard life." The boy needed to understand this, he needed to be serious for just a moment and settle down. This wasn't an easy choice to make.

Anakin did turn serious, much to the adults' surprise. "But this is what I want. What I've always dreamed about." He turned pleading eyes on his mother, tilting his head to the side a little. "Can I go, Mom?"

"This path has been placed for you, Anni. The choice to take it is yours alone," Qui-Gon interrupted. He didn't want Shmi to feel pressured and needed Anakin to understand that this was something that he had to decide on his own. No one else could make this choice for him and nothing else could play a factor in his decision. And that was why he had yet to tell Shmi of her own release from the bonds of slavery.

Anakin thought for a moment, knowing they would want him to think this through. Yes, it was a big decision and he knew being a Jedi wasn't going to be easy, but he'd wanted nothing more than this for his whole life. He looked at his mother, but she gave nothing away, guarding both her expression and her emotions because she didn't want to tell him anything. Turning back to Qui-Gon, he nodded. "I want to go."

"Then pack your things. We haven't much time."

"Yippee!" the boy cried happily. Rushing over, he gave his mother a quick hug before starting to go into another room. Slowly, he stopped and turned to face the adults. There is a knowing look on Shmi's face as Anakin turns to her, having realized something that was not talked about so far. "What about Mom? Is she free too?" he asked, turning frightened eyes on his mother. "You're coming too, aren't you, Mom?"

"Anni," she began slowly, on a sigh.

"Yes she is."

Shmi spun to look at Qui-Gon, eyes wide. "What?" she asked in a small voice even as Anakin cried out in joy and hurried back to her side, giving her another hug before running into his room to pack up everything he would need, explaining to the droid inside what was going to happen now. "What?" she asked again, voice a little stronger.

Qui-Gon moved closer, pulling over of the chairs closer to Shmi. He sat down and leaned forward, taking her hands in his and giving her that rare smile of hers, the one that had been popping up more often since he'd met her. "Did you think I wasn't going to try and save you too?" he asked.

"But, you didn't have to do that," she whispered. Her voice was full of wonder and she stared at him as though he were the most amazing man she'd ever known.

He lifted her hands and turned them over, pressing a soft kiss to both her palms. "I couldn't leave you here, Shmi," he told her, serious now. "Not like this. You don't deserve this life." He shook his head slowly. Now was the time to give her the choice. "If you want, you can come with me and I will find a place for you to live where it will never be like this again. You will only have to work if it's what you wish. Or, you can stay here. You'll be a free woman and anything you make will be yours to keep."

Shmi stared into those blue eyes, thinking this through. He gave nothing away in his expression. He was a Jedi; he was trained not to show emotions. But he gave himself away through something else. If she wasn't paying close attention, she never would have noticed it, so subtle were his hints. It was the way he held her hands. His fingers were gentle, but applied just enough pressure to tell her how he didn't want to let go.

He was a Jedi and attachments were forbidden, so she knew this choice would be as difficult for her as Anakin's had been. If something were to remain between them, whatever they had would be a secret. Was she willing to live a life of secret if it meant being with him? Yes, she was, because she knew that she was in love with him. No one had ever held the place he did and no one ever would. The only person she'd loved as much as she did him was her son.

"I want to go," she said, repeating her son's line.

A brilliant smile broke out over Qui-Gon's features, one she'd not seen and left her stunned. With a quick movement, he leaned forward and kissed her before standing and pulling her to her feet. "Then you must pack quickly because we don't have much time. I will return shortly."

Shmi watched in stunned silence as Qui-Gon turned and strode out the door. Slowly, she lifted a hand to touch her lips before turning around and forcing herself to think. What was important enough for her to take? She wouldn't be able to take much since they would be walking, but she could take some things.

She'd only been packing for a few minutes before Qui-Gon returned. He walked into the room and straight to where she stood, frowning over how little she had with her. "Is that all you're taking?" he asked, glancing around the room.

"Well, if we're walking then I shouldn't take much," she began, confused.

He shook his head quickly. "We won't be walking. I have the eopies and cart once more. We can load it up with whatever you're taking and then the boy with us will bring them back after we unload. I asked the owner to send his son along with us since we will have to leave immediately," he explained when she looked confused once more.

Shmi smiled at him. He was going to so much trouble to make sure she had everything she wanted. If she'd been uncertain of his feelings before, this proved he at least cared for her. Looking around the room, her eyes widened a little. "I don't have much, but if I am going to be taking more I'll need to hurry up now."

"No problem," he replied with a slight smile, looking around the room. "Just tell me what you want."

As Shmi began to tell him what she wanted to bring with her, Qui-Gon closed his eyes and used the Force to bring everything to her until they had a pile of things in the middle of the room. They both began to put everything in boxes, Qui-Gon using both his hands and his abilities. Soon Anakin joined them and Qui-Gon was able to instruct him on how to do the same. The boy was a quick learner and soon got the hang on what he was doing, though he couldn't move as quickly as Qui-Gon because, with his Jedi training, his reflexes were faster and his mind more focused.

Soon they were done and carrying the two Skywalker's meager belongings out to load them into the cart attached to the eopies waiting for them.

Qui-Gon helped Shmi onto the eopie before them, holding on to her hand for a moment longer than necessary before releasing her and turning back to Anakin with a small smile. "Alright, lad, now it's your turn." With that said he leaned down to lift him up, slipping his hands beneath the child's arms and raising him into the air to place him before his mother. Sending a quick nod to the local boy perched on the third beast, Qui-Gon let him know that they were all ready before swinging one leg over the remain creature. When his own beast stood, Qui-Gon started them off on their journey to his ship.

It took them a short while to reach the outskirts of town and, eventually, for the silver Naboo ship to come into view.

As they drew nearer, the short hairs on the back of his neck began to stand on end. He knew not to look around, but instead he used the Force to search the area surrounding them. Just off to their right, coming fast towards them, was a dark presence. There was a Sith coming after them, and they were coming fast.

"Hurry up!" Qui-Gon suddenly yelled, kicking his eopies into a faster pace and causing the others to do the same. He pulled them to a quick stop be ship before briefly glancing at the young man with them. "Unload as quickly as possible and then leave. Go around the sand dunes to the east and keep away from here, then go straight back to town and tell no one of this."

Shmi watched with wide, worried eyes as Qui-Gon hurried over and lifted first Anakin and then herself off the eopie to help unload their things from the cart and take them aboard the ship. She grabbed his arms when he started to move away from her, headed toward the dark figure rushing towards them. "Be careful," she told him quietly when his eyes met hers. A simple nod was his only reply before his attention turned back to the threat rushing upon them. She watched in fear as he drew his lightsaber and ran towards the danger before kicking into gear and doing as he'd wanted her to.

They finished quickly and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon's apprentice, rushed them onto the ship and to the control room.

Qui-Gon fought the Sith, doing his best to keep him from the ship and the people aboard that he cared about. When he heard the ships engines coming closer, he glanced over to see the ship hovering nearby. Catching the younger man off-guard, he knocked him away before rushing toward the ship and jumping onto the open hatch, looking over his shoulder as the man tried to hurry after him but the cruiser lifted too far out of his reach.

With a sigh Qui-Gon reentered the ship, hooking his weapon onto his belt. It was time to make sure Shmi and her son had boarded safely. Then he would see to it that they got their own rooms where they could make themselves comfortable. They were now his guests and the queen would just have to deal with two more people being onboard. He didn't think she would mind seeing as she'd taken such a liking to them while disguised and following him around the planet. It was his own ward that he thought might have an issue with the two extra people with them.


	14. Chapter 11 Talk Later

**Take...well, I'm not sure anymore. Every time I tried uploading this story this morning it wouldn't work. The whole page would just go blank until it was time for me to head to lunch. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter up...I worked on a little at a time until it got to the point where I wasn't working on it at all. Last night I was determined to at least finish writing it (and I did!) and this morning after my exam I checked for any errors (hope it makes you're reading a bit easier-and if I missed anything, sorry), but when I tried to edit and upload the document...well, fanfic went on the fritz.**

**I'm not sure what else I was going to say...but I've taken enough of your time. Oh! My semester is officially over tomorrow and I'll be going home for a few weeks...which means that I can get more writing done! I'm hoping to have enough time to finish writing this, that way I can just upload it and you don't have to wait forever on it. Hope that makes some of you happy. Next chapter is going to be major Qui/Shmi, so if the previous statement didn't make you happy, hopefully that one will, lol. Well, shutting up now. :D Serious this time. Enjoy!**

**DT...MTFBWY!**

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**Chapter Eleven- Talk Later  
**

"How did I know, just know, you were going to return with yet another pitiful life form? And not just one this time, but two!" Obi-Wan complained quietly, as though he were speaking to his Master. He wasn't though, for he never would have said something so direct straight to his Master's face, and definitely not in the tone he was currently using. No, he was speaking quietly to himself, watching Qui-Gon move about the control room with the pilot, checking to make sure everything was in working order.

"Alright, looks like we're ready for the journey back, correct, Captain?" Qui-Gon asked, looking to the man in question.

The captain nodded and took his seat once more, taking the controls from the co-pilot and resuming his command. The real flight was about to begin.

Qui-Gon motioned for Obi-Wan to come with him, heading out of the control room and traversing down the long corridor to where the Queen and her handmaidens awaited. "We'll see if her Highness and her ladies need anything of us before calling it a night. I'll take the first watch while you catch up on some sleep and then we'll trade off in a few hours. I'll wake you, then I'll turn in for the other half the night." He started to open the door where the Queen was, but paused for a moment and turned back to his padawan. "Oh, and Obi-Wan—just because you mumble your complaints under your breath doesn't mean I can't still hear them. Remember, we are both Jedi and don't forget our enhanced abilities." He held back a smile. "You've been around non-Force sensitive beings too long, lad. You're beginning to lose your touch," he teased.

Obi-Wan's eyes widened. "What?" he cried quietly, sounding a little panicked. The thought of 'losing his touch' would panic any Jedi. If he didn't regain control of himself, it could get him into some serious problems.

Qui-Gon chuckled before turning back to the door and watching it slide open effortlessly. On the other side stood young Padme, the Queen in disguise as her handmaiden yet again. If Qui-Gon didn't still have his handle on his expressions and words, he would have rolled his eyes at her disguising herself once more. She may fool everyone else, but she couldn't fool him. "Miss. Padme, please ask your Highness if she needs anything from my padawan and I before we retire for the night."

Padme gave a modest nod before turning toward her 'Mistress' and, after moving to her side, repeating the question in a quiet voice.

If Qui-Gon weren't a Jedi, weren't trained to notice even the smallest of details, he probably would have missed the slight shake of her head that Padme gave. It was quick and there was barely any movement, but just enough for an experienced Jedi to take note. If he'd not known Padme was really the Queen before, he definitely would have now.

"No thank you, Master Jinn, I'm quite alright and so are my ladies." She gave a regal nod before turning her attention back to the woman on her left, signaling to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan that they were dismissed. After a quiet word from Padme, the fake queen looked back at her and gave a half nod, saying, "You may go now, Padme." With that she turned away, once more signaling that she was finished.

Qui-Gon waited as Padme exited the room, motioning for her to go first. "And why have you been dismissed, Miss?" he asked pleasantly. "Did you somehow displeasure her Majesty?" he asked innocently, even though he was teasing her.

Padme glanced back at the older Jedi, ignoring the young man following closely behind and listening to everything they were saying. "I don't know what you mean, Master Jinn. She dismissed me so I could see to our guests. This _is_ her ship, no matter what you may currently believe, and therefore everyone onboard is a guest of hers. So, she sends me to check on them and make certain that they are comfortable and well placed."

They entered into a small room that reminded Qui-Gon of the refactories in the Temple. Small, modest, with two booth tables and an opening where the droids were kept against one wall, the opposite wall holding a sink and stove as well as some counter space and cabinets. Other than that, the room was bare, just holding two closed doorways on the far wall.

Shmi sat with Anakin at one of the booths, both wrapped up in a blanket to keep them warm—they'd never been in space before, only Shmi when she'd been a small girl and too young to remember, and found it to be quite cold. And, compared to the planet they'd just left, it was considerably colder.

Qui-Gon slipped his cloak from his shoulders and walked silently up to Shmi. He noticed the way her back straightened a little, her head turned slightly to the side. She knew he was there. The thought that she could just tell when he was in her presence made him smile softly. "You look a bit chilled, my dear," he whispered in her ear as he lowered his cloak to her shoulders. He made sure he said the words soft enough that not even Obi-Wan picked up on them. He could imagine his padawan's response to hearing him use a term of endearment with the dark haired woman sitting quietly with her son. He would have thrown a fit, mentally and verbally, once he and Qui-Gon were out of earshot of the others.

"Thank you," Shmi returned softly, smiling up at him even as her cheeks flushed a little pinker than before. She watched as he slid into the booth beside her, his leg brushing hers ever so slightly. If it were anyone else, she would have thought it an accident, but this was Qui-Gon. Everything he did, he did on purpose and for a reason.

Padme, who'd stepped out of the room for a moment, returned with another blanket in her hands, sliding in by Anakin even as she unfolded the dark brown blanket to settle gently around his shoulders. "Is there anything I can get for you? Anything to warm you up anymore?" she asked, looking between the boy and his mother.

Shmi shook her head, not saying anything. She wasn't concentrating on what Padme was saying, but was more interested in the man beside her. She wanted to talk to him, to spend time with him, but couldn't while everyone else was present. She had a question burning a hole in her head and her heart: Why had he saved them?

Well, she knew why he'd saved Anakin. Looking at her son, a soft smile grew and she knew exactly why. He was special, and he would do amazing things one day. She, one the other hand, wasn't special and wouldn't do anything like he eventually would. As to why Qui-Gon had rescued her, had risked losing something just for her, was unknown. Whatever the reason, it wasn't an obvious one. And that had her shy heart skipping and beat and hoping that his reasons were personal, because he felt something for her and didn't want to leave her behind.

Qui-Gon glanced to Shmi, noticing the way her eyes examined him beneath lowered lashes, obviously hoping no one would notice. While he was having trouble reading her, he could tell there was something bothering her but just didn't know what. There was something she was just dying to either say, do or ask. And it was killing him that he didn't know what she wanted.

"I think that we should allow _Her Majesty's_ guests to retire for the night," Qui-Gon stated, cutting off whatever Padme had been about to say. She and the boy had been discussing her home planet, and while he was sure the two would like to finish the conversation, the boy looked ready to pass out. It was time for bed.

"Of course," the young woman said, no malice in her voice. If anything, she seemed to notice Anakin's drooping eyes and half-mumbled responses as he fought to pay attention. Slipping out of the booth and standing, she helped the young man climb to his feet, smiling at him in that friendly way of hers, in a way she reserved only for him. Her smile was half amused or even indulgent and half love struck herself, as if she wasn't sure what to think of him but he had captured her attention anyways. "Come, we've made the two of you up a room that I'm sure you'll be very comfortable in," she told Anakin and Shmi sweetly, starting off in the way of the room she'd made up. "The very best for our special guests," she told him softly, sending Anakin a quick wink.

Shmi sent Qui-Gon a startled look, a mix of regret and longing in her eyes. "One room?" she asked in a whisper of a voice.

"I hope that's alright," Padme replied in a confused voice, slowly turning around just as the older woman averted her eyes from Qui-Gon. Shmi hadn't quite spoken soft enough, and Padme had heard her. The young woman was frowning, confusion drawing her brow down over her nose. "Do you need two?" she asked, confusion entering her voice.

Shmi started to stutter a response, but Anakin saved her from her troubles. "What Mother is trying not to say is that she doesn't want to sleep in the same room with me," he stated in a tired, teasing voice. "I have a tendency to talk sometimes, and she's a light sleeper." He and Shmi both laughed. He turned to give her a smile and she returned it with a brilliant smile all her own, shaking her head slowly. Looking back at Padme, his smile widened a little. "If it's okay, can I just sleep with the R2 units?"

"What?" Padme gasped, caught off guard by his bizarre question. Now looking unsure what to do, she shuffled her feet quietly as she struggled for something to say. "I don't think Her Majesty would appreciate me allowing you to sleep in there with the R2's."

"Oh, I'm sure Her Majesty will be fine with it," Qui-Gon stated, getting to his feet. He avoided smiling at Padme by turning and offering his hand to Shmi, helping her up from their side of the booth. Turning back to the young woman, he kept his face as straight as possible. "I'm sure you have a lot of…_sway_ with _Her Majesty_," he stated, pronouncing his words carefully and adding just enough of a suggestive tone to hint that he knew something.

Padme's eyes narrowed for the slightest second. There was a glint in the man's eyes that she didn't quite trust. There was no way he could know that she was the queen. She'd been very careful. On the other hand, he was a Jedi and he was trained for things she could only guess at. Perhaps he had discovered her secret. While she refused to believe that, she would be cautious around him from now on. She couldn't give herself away now.

Holding in an irritated sigh, she looked at Anakin as though she were going to tell him no again.

"Please?" he begged, his young face taking on a pleading look. "3PO is in there and I want to see him. Besides, it will help me sleep to be near them, to hear them at night. I've slept with C-3PO in my room for a long time now and can't sleep without hearing him. And, if I'm in there, I won't chance waking anyone else up and make them miserable all night."

The young woman sighed, seeming to give in to his request. "All right," she began, giving him a slight nod and smiling when he hooted for joy. "If Master Jinn and his padawan will agree to move the cot I set up for you into the droid room, then you can stay in there. I'll just get some more blankets," she stated, turning around and heading off out of the room.

"Will you, Master Jinn?" Anakin asked, turning now excited eyes on the Jedi by his mother.

Qui-Gon chuckled to himself, patting the boy on the head when he ran up to him. "Of course I will." Looking at Obi-Wan, he gestured for him to leave. "I can handle the cot; you go ahead and get some rest, Obi-Wan. You're going to need it. I'll wake you when it's time for us to switch watch."

"Yes, Master," he stated in that dutiful padawan voice, turning and disappearing through the doorway leading to the guest sleeping quarters.

"Now, Anakin," Qui-Gon began, dropping down so he was eyelevel with the boy. "If you should need anything, Obi-Wan will be in the room right beside your mother's, and in a few hours I will be there. If you come get one of us, we can allow your mother to get some rest."

"Yes, sir!" the boy stated in a serious tone, mimicking the one Obi-Wan had used. Turning around, he went the way Obi-Wan had, headed toward where his cot was. "Come on!" he called over his shoulder before disappearing from view.

Qui-Gon chuckled, walking with Shmi as they started after her now-wound-up son. Glancing at her, he reached out to take her hand, gently squeezing her fingers. "What's on your mind, my sweet?" he asked, genuine concern entering his voice. There was an intense, serious look on her face.

When he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, her frown lightened. Looking his way, she studied his expression for a moment and marveled over him for a second. How could such a beautiful man look at her as if she were the only woman in all the worlds? She didn't know, but that was how she would describe his expression. He was coming to reveal more and more through looks and actions with her, showing her how he felt when they were alone and putting that mask back up when others were around.

"I just wanted to talk to you," she murmured, cutting herself off when the doorway leaning to the guest area came into view. She didn't want to say anything and risk someone overhearing them. Relationships were forbidden for Jedi, and she didn't want to get him in any sort of trouble.

He drew her to a halt and pulled her close. When she sent him a panicked expression, he smiled softly, tapping his temple as he explained, "I'm watching them." She began to laugh at that thought, but he cut it off by lowering his head and kissing her till her toes curled and she was clinging to his shoulders for support. Pulling away, he waited until she opened her eyes once more.

"I'll come to you tonight," he explained, a longing in his voice that matched her own. "Tonight, we'll talk and all your questions will be answered," he told her, reaching up to brush her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. Suddenly, a teasing grin spread across his handsome face. "Now, get that just-had-a-toe-curling, knee-weakening-kiss look off your face and stop staring at me like you want to drag me into the nearest bedroom. We're about to walk in there and everyone will see it."

Shmi gasped, unable to believe he'd just said that. Despite the fact that she wanted to smack him, she laughed and followed him into the guest quarters.

Padme was there, waiting with Anakin at the entrance to the room that would now be just for Shmi. A quick mental check told Qui-Gon that Obi-Wan was already in bed and asleep. Jedi often fell asleep quickly, training taught them that since they could be in situations where a few hours of sleep would be dire, so tossing and turning just wasn't an option. They were also trained to wake at the slightest noise, so he would be as quiet as possible.

"This room," Padme stated, not bothering to lower her voice.

Qui-Gon refrained from giving her an unhappy look, but instead reached out to Obi-Wan's now active mind, assuring him that nothing was wrong. In another second, his padawan was fast asleep again, with a little help from his Master.

Lifting a finger to his lips, Qui-Gon moved forward, using the stealth of a Jedi. When the young woman frowned and opened her mouth as if to speak again, he explained "You'll wake my padawan again, and he needs his rest," in a quiet voice, making certain Obi-Wan wouldn't overhear him and wake up.

She frowned, looking like she wanted to ask him something, probably how he would wake up to her talking, but refrained from asking and remained quiet as she'd been told.

Qui-Gon slipped into the room and stood between the two cots. Turning to Padme, he gestured to the two beds and waited until she pointed to the one at his left, the one that held a few more blankets. Turning to the cot and reaching out with the Force, he slowly lifted it into the air and maneuvered it out the open door. At the gasps from the others, he lifted a finger to his lips again, eyes trained on the item he held in the air. He didn't want to lose concentration and let the blankets fall to the ground.

As if their thoughts were moving along the same lines, Shmi moved forward to pull the blankets away from the cot currently hovering on its side before her. She glanced at Qui-Gon and noticed an amused look on his face.

Qui-Gon moved on to the next door, the others falling into step behind him quietly. No one spoke until they reached the droid room.

"How would Obi-Wan have woken up just by us talking?" Anakin asked, curiosity and confusion mixing in his voice. "And how would he have been asleep already? He asked if we needed anything before going into the room right before you and Mom walked in."

Qui-Gon lowered the cot to the ground and turned to the boy. "A Jedi is trained to fall asleep as fast as he can, and also to wake up at the slightest sound. I've been in many situations where tossing and turning would have caused me to lose much needed sleep. I've also had some missions when, if I hadn't woken up to the sound of a torch crackling in the air, it would have meant the end."

"Wow," he whispered, wide eyes trained on the man before him.

"Now, to bed for you, young man," he stated, turning almost fatherly as he gave Anakin a stern look and gestured to the cot resting near the boy's beloved creation, C-3PO.

Shmi smiled to herself, moving forward to help Anakin into bed and tucking him in.

Qui-Gon and Padme stepped from the room as mother and son quietly told one another goodnight. He looked at her and gestured toward the door. "Miss Padme, you may go to bed now. You must be tired yourself, I'm sure. I won't be going to sleep soon, so I'll walk Miss Skywalker to her quarters before heading to see the pilot."

Padme nodded, murmuring a quiet goodnight before exiting the room.

"Are you going to walk me to my room, Master Jinn?" Shmi asked softly, smiling at him when he turned to look at her. One of those rare smiles lit his face and he held his arm out for her. As the days passed, he smiled more and more, but she'd noticed it was normally only in private. She slipped her hand into the bend his elbow made, flushing a little when he covered her fingers with his, using his hold her to bring her a little closer to his side. "It's a very gentlemanly thing for you to do, especially because you didn't have to. I'm sure Padme would have willingly walked me back."

"But then I wouldn't have as much time with you," he replied softly as they walked away. His eyes scanned her face, memorizing everything. It seemed like the blink of an eye and they were in front of her door. "Get some sleep," he whispered in her ear. "I'll return later, but for now get some rest. Goodnight, love."

Shmi's heart soared at the affectionate endearment, smiling up at him as she whispered, "Goodnight." She said nothing else because he lowered his head to kiss her, a taste of what was to come. He smiled once more at her before leaving her to her room.

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**Almost forgot to delete the beginning of the next chapter...that wouldn't have been good! (I guess that depends on how you look at it, lol) Well, please leave a review to let me know how you liked the chapter! And if anyone wants to suggest something you'd like to see in the story, feel free to leave it in a review or pm me. Just remember, I'm keeping this story T rated, at the request of a reader. Any R rated suggestions, while I'll still write them when I can, won't be added to this story-they'll be uploaded separately as a spin-off. I will add in the summary or author's note how it has to do with this story though.**

**Have to add another to the "trying to upload story"...fanfic when on the fritz again in the middle of me editing this. Hopefully it's done now.**

**Alright, well... Thanks for all the reviews and patience from you guys/gals! I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP.**

**DT**


	15. Chapter 12 Morning, Love

**Well, I was going to go to bed, but I wanted to finish this chapter first. 5:30 in the morning and I am half out of it, so I'm hoping the chapter is good (lol). Well, this is just a quick thing for Qui and Shmi-it's got some serious parts to it and some fun ones. Well, I have no idea what else to tell you and I can barely keep my eyes open. This would have been done sooner, but I was trying to work on the short about Qui and Shmi's first night together as was requested (when I finish it, I'll say in my AN, but it won't be a chapter in this)-and that story might be a two-shot, the second chapter having to do with this one.**

**Well, I'm done now-promise. Please leave me a review to tell me what you think. :) Enjoy!**

**MTFBWY...DT  
**

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**Chapter Twelve- Morning, Love**

Qui-Gon waited a few minutes after his padawan left before slipping from the room. Reaching out with the Force, he checked for any life forms coming his way, making certain no one would find him sneaking out of his room and into someone else's. He felt like a padawan in the Temple again, sneaking around and hoping that his Master would find out about it. Pushing the door open, he stepped into the room he'd left Shmi in a few hours earlier. She stirred at the soft noise, pushing herself up from the bed and leaning on one arm.

Her sweet face turned his way, a half-burned candle sitting on the stand giving off a dim light to illuminate her sleepy look. She wasn't quite awake yet. Her hair fell in soft, dark waves down her back and the white sleep gown she wore clung to her skin. Small bumps rose up on her arms, and she shivered, lifting her other hand to rub her arm, hoping to warm herself up.

"Cold, love?" he asked, stripping off his outer tunic and dropping it onto the floor by the door.

Instantly, she was awake. Her eyes quickly finished adjusting to the lighting and she watched him in silence. As his pulled his inner tunic from his pants and opened it, rolling his shoulders to allow it to fall off easier, her mouth went dry. His skin gleamed in the candle light and her eyes roamed over his muscular arms and shoulders. When they'd been together before, she'd been shy and hadn't known what to do. This time though, she was determined to do what she wanted and explore him as he had her.

Leaving his trousers on for now, Qui-Gon made his way to the bed, his bare feet walking over the cold floor as if it were nothing. He stopped at her side, smiling softly as he leaned forward to place his hands on the bed, hovering over her. Slowly, he moved forward to press a gentle kiss to her lips. Her eyes were still closed when he pulled back, which just made him smile more. "Are you cold?" he asked again.

Shmi cleared her throat, opening her eyes to stare up at him. Her gaze caught on the way his mouth curved in a smile she'd not seen him give to others often. When she looked into his eyes, the gentle, caring look melted her heart. There was no doubt in her mind that she loved him, and no way for her to deny it. "A little," she replied in a barely audible voice, the realization and his presence making it hard for her to speak..

A crooked grin pulled at his lips, a different sort of gleam coming to his eyes as he straightened. "Not for long, sweet." With that said, he stripped off his trousers and, lifting the sheets covering the sleep couch and the lovely woman before him, he slid into bed with her.

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Shmi let out a soft sigh, reluctantly opening her eyes to greet the coming morning. It wasn't too bright in the room to signal it was time to wake, but the lights were set to begin to turn on when it became morning. Little by little they grew brighter. She could have easily shut them off, but Shmi found herself missing the suns and, while these lights weren't the twin suns she was used to, they were a sort of replacement. There were no windows in her temporary sleeping quarters, and there would be no suns rising in the sky since they were still flying through it…but she knew it was morning and, therefore, time to wake.

She'd had plenty of sleep—well, minus the time she'd spent wrapped in Qui-Gon's arms and once more exploring what was between them. She still found it hard to believe that such an important, well-traveled man who had probably seen the most beautiful women/female creatures all the planets had to offer would ever want her, but he did.

She lowered her gaze and smiled to herself. Unlike the previous morning, she was awake before Qui-Gon. It appeared that he was worn out this morning—from both their lovemaking and the lack of sleep he'd gotten, she would assume.

A smile curling her lips as she looked down on his sleeping face, the expression he wore a serene and peaceful one, Shmi lifted one hand to gently run her fingers through his hair.

His head rested on her chest, a thin sheet separating his cheek from her skin. His arms were wrapped around her waist, holding her against him even in his sleep, as if he never wanted to let her go.

Shmi had to admit, she liked the idea of him never wanting to let her go. She didn't want to let him go, and only wished that he felt the same way about her. The more she thought about it though, the darker her mood became as she remembered the fact that he was a Jedi, someone who couldn't form attachments and couldn't have loved ones.

She was stronger than that though, she wouldn't wallow in self pity. Instead, Shmi would cherish ever minute she had with this wonderful man and, once he walked out of her life to continue living his own, those memories would warm her on cold nights when she didn't have him to hold onto. She didn't think she would ever love another the way she loved him, and wasn't sure she could possibly have a relationship with another man as long as she knew Qui-Gon was still living, but maybe one day that would change.

But she would always hold onto thoughts of her time with him and the great love she held for him. No one would ever touch her the way he did, would ever hold the place in her heart that he currently held. It would forever be reserved for Qui-Gon and Qui-Gon alone.

Pushing those thoughts away, she studied his fine features once more. Her gaze dropped to his shoulder and she noticed a thin white scar running down from the tip of his shoulder to his collar bone. Frowning, she reached out to gently trace the line, wondering where he'd gotten the mark from.

"It's really not a very interesting story," Qui-Gon murmured sleepily, opening drowsy eyes to look up at Shmi's surprised face. She'd thought he was still sleeping. The corner of his mouth pulled up slightly just before his mouth opened on a yawn and he was reduced to squinting up at her until the moment had passed and he was able to close his mouth again. "Morning, love."

"Morning," Shmi replied quietly. She shook her head lightly, smiling down on him. He looked exhausted, yet happy. She noted that he didn't appear as tense as he normally did. She'd never thought of him as looking tense, but when he was as relaxed as he currently was, it was almost obvious. He made it look so easy, hiding his emotions behind calm expressions and blank eyes…but not now. There were so many emotions mixing on his face that they left her breathless.

"I want to hear it though," she found herself replying quietly. "I want to know everything about you."

Qui-Gon smiled up at her, looking a bit more awake. Twisting slightly, he moved so he was lying beside her, his right arm bent under his head and turned up so he could rest his cheek on his fist, holding himself up from the bed so he could look down on her.

Shmi changed positions as well, rolling over so that she was lying on her stomach. Folding her arms on the pillow, she rested the side of her face on her crossed wrists, facing him and smiling in return.

His eyes shifted to her back, revealed to his gaze when she shifted. The sheet covered her lower body, but left her whole back exposed to him. The smile slid from his face as he examined the white marks that crisscrossed over her tan skin. They stood out painfully, signaling to the improper treatment she'd received in the past.

"Do you still feel pain from these?" he asked in a voice barely above a whisper, reaching out to gently brush his callused fingertips over the scars.

Shmi shivered from the light touch, watching his face as he examined her. "I don't know how to describe it really. Sometimes, it's like there's a…echo of the pain. If I somehow hurt my back, like I get hit with something, I can feel every single one of them. The pain isn't as intense as it was when I got them, but it's there and it builds until it causes discomfort."

"Just discomfort?" he asked, raising his eyes from a brief moment to meet hers. He noted the way her eyes were swirled. They were a dark brown, but it looked like a tiny drop of gold had been added and stirred into those dark iris's, leaving a streak of light circling in towards that black center.

A sarcastic smile curled her lips. "If I said it was anything more than discomfort, Watto would have had a fit." She looked almost reminiscent when she said the flying creature's name. "For all his faults, he was the best master Anni and I ever had. Every once and a while he might smack one of us around, but it only left a red mark for a little while and it was mostly just to try and impress his gambling buddies."

"Hitting a woman only impresses those who have little intelligence and are insecure about themselves and their place in their society. A real man, or creature, doesn't smack around others. Instead, they lift others up and help them. They treat others with dignity and respect." Qui-Gon made an angered gesture toward the scars marring her beautiful skin. "No one should ever do something like this to others."

"That's how it should be—but, unfortunately, that's not how it is." Shmi shook her head slowly, staring up into his face. The angered expression on his handsome face made him look like some sort of avenging angel, incensed over a wrongful act and looking to right it. "There's nothing you could have done to stop any of those mark from happening. None of them happened after I met you, and all of them by a master of mine that you will never have the unfortunate opportunity to meet."

"Not unless I hunt them all down and make them pay for it," he mumbled to himself, brushing her dark hair out of the way to view the rest of the marks on her shoulders and reaching up onto her neck.

"You can't do that, Qui-Gon," Shmi said seriously. Her caught the dark look in his eyes and knew he was seriously considering doing what he'd said. She also knew that, if he did do something like that, he would be walking the thin line between good and evil. And she wanted him nowhere near that line. She would risk losing him to his life as a Jedi, but she wouldn't lose him to the path of the Dark Side.

Her knowledge of Jedi and Sith was limited, but she did know right from wrong. And Sith were definitely wrong.

His gaze lifted to her face and he stared into those swirling eyes for a few quiet moments. "I don't want to lose you, mesh'la," he told her in a soft voice; there was an intensity to his words that made her breath catch in her throat.

"I don't want to lose you either, but I don't see how this is possible," she told him, finally voicing her worries. "You're a Jedi, which means it's forbidden for you to have attachments—including loved ones. How can we possibly continue with this relationship when your Order says you can't?" she asked, looking away from him as she bit down on her lower lip.

Those strong, gentle fingers slipped beneath her chin, turning her face back his way. He waited until she looked him in the eye once more before saying anything else. "I haven't decided how we're going to make it work yet, but we will. Somehow, I will find a way. You belong with me now, Shmi. And no matter what anyone says, you are mine," he said it with such determination that she was starting to believe him.

Perhaps he would find a way for her to be with him. She didn't want to make him leave his Order for her, because she didn't want to make him do anything that he didn't want to do, but she also wanted to be able to spend the rest of her life with him. Somehow, he would figure it out.

Shmi smiled at him, and when her eyes dipped to that scar on his shoulder once more she continued to smile. He'd effectively diverted her attention from her original question, but she was determined to get an answer. "So, you never told me how you got that scar," she commented, reaching out to touch it once more.

Qui-Gon laughed, taking her hand a bringing it to his lips so he could press a kiss to the back of her hand. "You just don't give up do you?" he asked, laughing even as he voiced the question. She nodded and merely waited, so he decided to just tell her. "It was when I was a knight, about Obi-Wan's age now, and I snuck out of the Temple with my friends," he began the story, moving so that he was resting on his back, hands folded under his head.

"And did you do that often? Sneak out of the Temple when you should have been doing something else, I mean," she replied to the beginning of his tale, a sly grin curling her lips as she moved over him, crossing her arms over his chest and resting her chin on top of them.

He smiled at the beautiful woman lying on top of him and ignored her question, determined to get this tale over with. "Anyways…we went out and had some fun. Whatever we could do, we did it. We finally found our way into a cantina and ordered whatever we could," he told her, smiling as she settled against him, enjoying his ridiculous tale of childhood adventure. "We got a little…rowdy and _disturbed_ a rather large, mean looking patron of the place. Well, a fight eventually erupted and somewhere in the mix of it—just about everyone in the cantina was involved—someone shot off a blaster. The shot grazed my shoulder and, had my head been down, it would have hurt me much worse than it did."

"A cantina fight…" she murmured quietly, half amused and half shocked. "I wouldn't have guessed."

Qui-Gon laughed, pulling his arms out from under his head and wrapping them around her. "That, surprisingly, wasn't even the worst part." When she made a noise of curiosity, he continued. "The worst thing was when my friends had to take me back to the Temple and to the infirmary, only to explain how I got hurt. My Master was furious and, as soon as I was well enough, I paid for it with rigorous training and meditation with absolutely no free time of my own. He made sure I was completely exhausted before returning to my chambers at night though, that way I wouldn't have the energy to sneak out with my friends again. As a matter of fact, I believe it was several months before I ever really saw them again," he said on a chuckle.

Shmi laughed with him, imagining a younger Qui-Gon sneaking out of his room, getting into a fight, and then being punished by this unknown Master until he passed out from sheer exhaustion. It was quite a picture.

He lifted his head and pressed a kiss to her lips, smiling even as he kissed her. Pulling back, he sent her a wicked grin and pulled her a little closer to him. "We still have some time before Obi-Wan or the young Padme will come looking for us…what do you say we make the best of our time now that the depressing and ridiculous stories are out of the way?" he asked her, wriggling his eyebrows at the suggestion.

Shmi laughed once more, sliding her arms around his neck. "You only think of one thing, don't you?" she asked teasingly.

He thought for a moment. "No, sometimes I think about food too," he replied, grinning widely and enjoying the light, fun and flirty time he was having. Normally he couldn't relax this much, but Shmi seemed to be just the thing he needed in his life. And he was grateful to have met her…and he wasn't about to let her go. No matter what that blasted Code said.

He rolled over, holding himself above Shmi as he smiled wickedly at her. "I believe we left off somewhere last night…"he said just before lowering his mouth to hers in a kiss that warmed her all over and had her toes curling while she buried her hands in his hair.


	16. Chapter 13 Almost Landing

**Okay, sorry I haven't updated in so long. I was busy studying for exams so I didn't have a lot of time to write (though I did plan out every chapter coming in this story, so I could tell you just how many more there will be, lol)...then I had some family issues so I had to leave before I took my midterms, then got sick and made up some things over spring break...and I now I've finished about all of my midterms that I missed, just one more tomorrow.**

**Anyways, I just wanted to let you know why I haven't been able to update-it's just been a really busy few weeks. I hope that I'll be able to write the next couple chapters this weekend, that way even if I don't get a lot of time to write in the next weeks I'll be able to update at least.**

**Okay, now that I've talked a lot, I'll let you read... Enjoy!**

**MTFBWY...DT**

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**Chapter Thirteen- Almost Landing**

Qui-Gon slipped from the bed, sensing his padawan's close presence. Obi-Wan would be coming to call for him and report everything that happened while his master _slept_. He was already calling out to Qui-Gon through the Force, which meant he had to mask where he was so his padawan wouldn't know that he wasn't in their shared chambers. He needed to hurry so Obi-Wan wouldn't catch him leaving Shmi's room.

He dressed quickly and, just before leaving Shmi's side, he bent down to press a lingering kiss to her mouth. She still slept, but her lips curled in a contented smile as she curled around the still warm pillow his head had rested on in the night, nuzzling it as if it were still him and not just a pillow.

Smiling to himself, he slipped from the room as quietly as possible and moved to his own quarters. He moved inside and retrieved his belt and cloak from where he'd placed them those hours before. He hadn't needed them while on the ship as the possibilities of danger were slim, but he knew they would be arriving on Naboo soon enough, and then he would need them.

"Ah, you're awake, Master," Obi-Wan stated in a low voice as Qui-Gon stepped out of their chambers, quietly pulling the door closed behind him. He paused a few feet away and cast a glance at the next door over. "Should we wake Miss. Skywalker now as well?" he asked in that dutiful tone.

Qui-Gon looked to her door as well, fighting a smile. He used his training to cloak his emotions, hiding them from his young padawan and keep any feelings from his facial expressions as well. It would be no use to give himself away now. "No, let her sleep," he replied calmly, looking back at Obi-Wan. "She'll need her strength later."

"Yes, Master," he said, bowing his head in acceptance. He waited as his Master walked toward him before turning and walking back the way he'd come with Qui-Gon at his side.

Just before they turned the corner, Qui-Gon cast a quick look back at the door which held the most important thing in the world behind it. His mouth curled at one corner in a fast show of expression before he schooled his features and once more turned his attention to the young man at his side currently speaking to him.

Shmi yawned, stretching her arms over her head in an effort to wake herself up. When she opened her eyes, she wasn't surprised to find herself alone in bed, the empty space beside her having already grown cold. She would have been more surprised had he actually been there. She was used to waking up alone now; knowing he had important things to do and that no one could discover them together in such a compromising way.

She was surprised, however, to discover a folded piece of paper sitting on the stand a few feet away, facing her. Clutching the sheet to her chest, she slid her feet off the sleep couch. Pulling one edge around her from behind, she fashioned a sort of dress for herself, feeling uncomfortable wearing nothing at all even though she was alone in the room.

Moving to the stand, she lifted up the sheet, brushing her fingers over the scrawled handwriting. My Dearest Shmi… She'd never handled paper before, as it was too fine for a slave to own. Qui-Gon, on the other hand, probably had enough money to afford such an item, if only every now and then.

Walking back to the bed, she sat down on the edge nearly bursting with excitement. Her face brightened with a smile and she gently opened the folded paper, fingers brushing lovingly over his words. Anything from him was a precious commodity, a gift of the most wonderful kind, and she would treasure this forever.

_I'm sorry I couldn't be there when you woke up, but I'll come back soon. I made breakfast for you; it will be in the refactory. It should still be warm, but if not then you can easily reheat it. I'll see you before we land._

_Forever yours,_

_Qui-Gon_

Shmi smiled, closing her eyes as she savored the thought of his endearment at the end of his short note. The thought of him being hers for all time, as long as she lived…well, it made her heart soar. She'd come to realize that she loved him, with all of her heart that wasn't reserved for her son, and with her whole being. Anakin was her flesh and blood, but Qui-Gon had quickly become her heart and soul. The two of them completed her, and without them she couldn't be whole. For years she'd been walking around with this void in her life, and now it was filled.

She could only hope that Qui-Gon felt the same for her, that he wouldn't be able to survive without her just as she couldn't without him.

Getting dressed in one of the nicer dresses she owned, she left her room and found her way back to the refactory she'd been in the night before. Looking around, she quickly found a covered plate that was warm to the touch and so she assumed was her breakfast. Opening the lid, she found what would have been food for both she and Anakin back home.

With wide eyes she sat at the table before slowly tasting the delectable foods that, at one time, she would never have dreamed she would currently be eating.

Qui-Gon stepped into the refactory, having decided that Shmi would probably be up by now. He was right, and he found her sitting at the table against the wall with a half eaten plate of food in front of her. Before he said anything she turned around and, when their eyes met, smiled warmly at him, sliding down on the seat so he could sit beside her.

"Good morning, sweet," he said as he moved to the table, leaning down to press a warm kiss to her lips. Returning the smile, he sat down beside her and glanced down to the meal on the table. "Are you not hungry, love?" he asked, turning his eyes back to her face.

She let out a small laugh, slowly shaking her head as she look down at the food he'd prepared her, eyes widening a little. "I couldn't eat all of that if I tried. I've never had so much food in one serving," she told him. A teasing glint entered her eyes as she gave him a little nudge. "Are you trying to spoil me?"

Qui-Gon let out a small laugh, surprised at himself for it. He rarely laughed, but she seemed to be making him do things he'd not done in a long time like smiling and laughing. "Now why would I go and do something like that?" he asked, giving her a light nudge in return.

Suddenly, Shmi turned and looked over her shoulder. "Where's everyone else? Is no one else eating breakfast?" she asked, turning her eyes back to him in confusion. "When I came out here I expected to see at least someone else."

"We all get up pretty early around here," he explained with a smile. "The Queen has her own refactory where she and her handmaidens have their meals. The ship's crew eat fast and in shifts so that there's always someone manning the stations. Obi-Wan and I had our breakfast earlier, when I made yours, and Anakin ate with us because he woke up."

"So I was the only person still sleeping this morning?" she asked with wide eyes. "I've never slept in later than everyone else. I've always been the first one awake," she murmured, looking away in thought.

"But it was also just you and Anakin," he told her quietly.

Shmi nodded, but then a crooked smile curved her lips as she lifted her gaze to meet his. "And I didn't have someone keeping me up all night then either."

Qui-Gon chuckled again before pulling her into another kiss. "I didn't hear you complaining last night." They laughed together for a moment before he recalled the reason he'd come looking for her. "We'll be landing on Corescont soon."

She examined his face for a moment, seeing how his face was emotionless now. She was coming to recognize that look, or lack of look really. He only gave that look when he wanted to hide something, like when he was worried. "And?" she asked slowly.

"And so when we're there you'll go with Padme and the Queen to the Senate building. While the Queen goes to the Senate meeting, you'll be with Jar Jar and the two of you will go sightseeing or something around the city with a few of the Queen's guards, that way I know you'll be safe," he explained to her, getting a slight smile because of his explanation for having the guards with her.

"Will Padme be there too?" she asked curiously. "She seems like a very nice girl, and Anakin likes her, so I'd like to spend some more time with her and get to know her a little better."

Qui-Gon couldn't help the tiny smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth. He just couldn't contain all of his amusement over the thought. "I think Miss Padme might be a little busy, so I don't think she'll be able to make it to your outing."

"And what about you?" she asked, a little hopeful that he would tell her he could walk about the city with her. It seemed that no matter how much time she spent with him, it only left her wanting to spend more with him. "What will you be doing during all that time?"

"I'll be at the Temple having a meeting with the High Council about your son actually," he explained. "I have to talk to them about Anakin, and then they'll perform some tests on him. Once they've finished their tests, they'll deliberate for a short time, and then they'll tell both Anakin and I what their decision is." She looked a little worried, so he gave her a reassuring smile and brushed his knuckles across her cheek. "It'll be alright. And when it's all over, I'll come over to the Senate building where the Queen's rooms are to see you and let you know how things went."

Their conversation turned from the Temple and the Jedi to what she may want to see while on the planet. As they talked, Qui-Gon pulled her into his arms when she started to shiver. Space was cold, but Shmi didn't mind it so much when Qui-Gon was holding her to keep her warm.

They'd grown quiet, comfortable to just sit together and hold one another, but suddenly Qui-Gon glanced over his shoulder. In an instant, Shmi had pulled away from him to look toward the doorway. She didn't want someone to walk in and see them, possibly getting him into trouble with the Council for having formed an attachment with her.

"Relax, sweet," he told her calmly with a chuckle. "No one's there."

"Then why did you look?" she asked in confusion.

"I sense Obi-Wan coming, but he's not here yet." With that explained, he gave her one more lingering kiss before slipping into the seat across from her. No more than a few moments after he'd done so did his padawan step through the doorway.

"There you are, Master," he said before turning his eyes to Shmi and giving her a smile. "Good morning Ms. Skywalker. I trust you slept well last night?" he asked pleasantly.

Shmi sent him a smile, hoping it hid the blush that warmed her cheeks. "Good morning. Yes, I slept well thank you." She wasn't completely sure what she should call the young man, if she should call him by his first name, last name, or if there was some Jedi term she was supposed to use…so she simply called him by no name at all.

"I was just keeping this delightful woman company while she had her breakfast," Qui-Gon said with the smallest hint of a smile.

"I just came to inform you that we're just about to land. Heading for the docking area right now, in case you wanted to be in the control room when it happened," Obi-Wan explained, turning his attention back to his master.

"Yes, I think we will join you. You've never seen a ship docking from the inside, have you, Shmi?" he asked, getting to his feet and moving over to her side, holding out a hand to help her up.

"No, never. I've never been on a ship before," she replied with a smile, taking his hand and allowing him to draw her to her feet. "I would love to join you." She smiled and took the arm he offered her before they followed Obi-Wan out of the refactory and towards the control room.


	17. Chapter 14 Talking Alone

**Okay, I'm sorry this chapter has taken me so longer to type and update. I've had it, along with the rest of this story, planned for a while, but I just haven't had time to write it. Well, I should have the time to finish up now and as soon as I get chapters typed up, I'll try to upload them-so they should come a lot quicker than they have been. Alright, I'll zip it so you can read. Enjoy!**

**MTFBWY...DT  
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**Chapter Fourteen- Talking Alone**

Shmi smiled as Jar Jar recounted everything they'd seen one their trip around the city as though she'd not been there to see any of it for herself. She listened, making comments when she thought he was beginning to expect one, but for the most part remained quiet. She stifled a yawn so Jar Jar wouldn't think he was boring her. The reason she was tired wasn't because of the creature next to her, but because they'd been gone for hours. And they'd barely even made a dent in exploring the city.

Shmi had been shocked to learn that the whole planet was, in all reality, just one big city. Their guide had taken them to all the most important places, like the Senate building and the Jedi Temple. While there, she'd hoped to catch a glimpse of Qui-Gon arriving with her son, just so she could see them before they went in, but she was either too late or they hadn't arrived yet.

She'd found herself away from Qui-Gon for the longest time since she'd met him, and that it was hard on her. She was a little surprised at how difficult it was to be away from him, especially since she'd only known him for a short period of time, but she also felt as if she'd always known him. She didn't know if that was possible, but it's what she felt.

She longed to see him again, even though she'd seen him that morning. But it was nighttime now, even though it was still as bright as it had been during the day it seemed, and she'd been away from him for a long time.

She wondered about his meeting and how things had gone with the Council. She wasn't sure if she wanted them to accept Anakin, since she now knew he would be forbidden to have attachments, or if she wanted them to accept him because it was what he wanted. Would he one day feel his heart breaking at leaving someone he loved as she did when she thought of having to leave Qui-Gon? She wasn't sure, but she felt that if he knew Padme years from now, he most definitely would. Her son already stared at the young woman with calf-smitten eyes.

Sighing, she forced herself to listen to Jar Jar once more, noticing that he was looking over at her, as if wondering if she were listening to him anymore. She smiled at him and commented about his current rambles, which earned her a smile in return and he continued as if he'd not thought she was ignoring him moments before.

It wasn't long before they returned to the building they'd left from hours before and Shmi's heart beat a little faster, wondering if Qui-Gon and Anakin would be there waiting on her. The thought of coming back to the two of them had a smile pulling at her lips and her heart squeezing with hope. It was the picture of a family, something she'd never known she really wanted, at least not completely, until the two of them had entered into her life.

When she'd had Anakin, she'd never known that she would ever want a husband or lover. She just been content to have her son and think that he was the only family she would ever want. But then Qui-Gon had walked into her life, and she'd realized there had been a void in her life, a gaping hole that he'd filled. They were her family, and she desperately hoped she would be able to find a way to keep both of them.

Jar Jar continued to chatter as they entered the building and headed for the Queen's chambers. Padme was there to greet them and Jar Jar started his long story all over again, heading into another room with Padme. The young woman cast a quick look over her shoulder and smiled at Shmi before gesturing to another room instead of the one she was heading in to. Anything she might have said was cut off when the creature on her arm drew her attention to what he was saying even as they rounded the corner into the other room.

Shmi turned her attention to the closed door off to the side that Padme had gestured to. Moving forward, she pressed the button to open the door and stepped inside. Immediately, she let out the breath she'd not known she'd been holding. There, by the windows, stood Qui-Gon. His face was an emotionless mask, but something flashed in his eyes that told her otherwise.

"Leave us," he commanded, drawing her attention to the two guards who stood against the wall inside the room. As soon the words left his mouth, and with a dismissive flick of his hand, the men left the room as quickly as they could, without a word or even a backwards glance.

As soon as the door slid shut behind them, his mask dropped and his arms opened in silent invitation for her. It was all the invitation she needed before she very nearly flew into his arms. Her eyes slipped closed the moment his arms fastened around her, holding her close as though he would never let go.

Qui-Gon held Shmi close for a moment before drawing her head back and tilting her face up toward him before slanting his mouth over hers in a kiss that told her just how much he'd missed her today. Her arms curled around him and she kissed him back, as if she understood his silent admittance of his feelings for her.

He'd known when this had started that he was treading on dangerous ground, but not realized just how quickly he would have fallen for her. He'd known loving her would make leaving her impossible, that cutting himself off from her would be the same as cutting off his own limbs, but he's thought he would be able to have something with her and end it before it went too far. But the moment he'd held her in his arms, kissed her soft lips, and loved her as no man had before, he'd been lost. Giving her up was no longer an option; he knew that as well as he knew that he would die should he stop breathing.

When he pulled back to look into her eyes, his feelings burned to be spoken, they fought to break free. But now wasn't the time to declare his undying love for her, now they had other things to take up their time. He swore to himself that, as soon as everything had settled down, he would tell her just how he felt. He only hoped that they would both make it through this and he would have the chance.

He allowed himself to brush his knuckles over her cheek as a way of showing his affection because he didn't trust himself to talk about it right now. Instead, he took her hand and drew her to a cushioned bench against one wall. He knew she would ask him about the meeting today any moment now.

"I am happy to see you, but I know we have things to talk about right now," she said quickly, causing him to smile but otherwise remain quiet. He would let her finish. "So I'm just going to go ahead and ask. How did things go with the Council? Are they going to train Ani?" she asked, uncertainty in her voice.

Qui-Gon folded her hands in his, noticing how chilly they felt. He rubbed them, hoping to warm them. "Before we get to that, how was your day?" he asked, his face turned toward their hands, though his eyes were locked on her face. He wanted to know if she'd enjoyed herself.

"It was fine. Very interesting." At the look on his face, she sighed. "Really it was. I enjoyed myself. And if I happened to miss anything, Jar Jar described everything we'd looked at in infinite detail along the trip back here. Okay, my day is out of the way now. What about you?" she asked, holding his hands still with her own.

He couldn't help but smile at her, seeing in her the same impatience he'd seen in Anakin several times before. While she had it under control more so than her son did, it did peak through at times, like now when she was worried about something. Especially when she was worried about her son.

"Alright, sweet, I'll tell you about it," he said, lifting her knuckles to press his lips to them. "The Council went ahead and tested Anakin today. I wasn't allowed to be in the room with him, which surprised me none. That's how it always is you see, the testing of force-sensitive children is in a way secretive. Only the Council members are present when it happens," he explained, tracing circles on the inside of her wrists with his thumbs. "They're meeting now to deliberate over what to do. I've left Anakin with Obi-Wan, who offered to show him about the Temple. I would have brought him with me to see you, but thought it best not too. Just in case I needed to leave quickly, should the Council be quick about it. I didn't want him to be disappointed should we not have gotten to see you. Or you to be upset if I would have needed to whisk him away from you just moments after we'd arrived."

Shmi gave a sad little smile. "I do miss him, but perhaps it's for the best that you didn't bring him with you. If he is to become a Jedi, then I won't be able to see him anyways. He'll be forbidden to have contact with me, so I should get used to it," she murmured, looking down at their clasped hands.

Qui-Gon hated the sadness that covered her beautiful face. He reached out to touch her face, wishing he could tell her that she would never have to give her son up, that he would make sure she would never have to give anything up…but then he would be lying to her. And that was something he couldn't do.

Shmi saw that her pain was torturing Qui-Gon, so she mustered up a smile she knew he would see as fake, but would satisfy her desire to try and make him feel better. "It's fine. I always knew that the day would come somehow—though, I'll admit, I thought it would be that Watto sold him, but I much prefer the idea of him being a free Jedi then a slave in another city or even a different planet." She could still see the indecision on his face, and knew he was fighting between what she wanted to hear and what she knew was true. "When will the Council decide?" she asked, hoping to distract him.

Qui-Gon glanced to the wall crono and stared at it for a moment, as if it were more complex than it really was. "I would have assumed that the decision would have been made already, but this is a difficult situation. His age will work against him at this point, as will his extra years spent with you," he told her honestly. "Younglings are taken much younger than Anakin is right now, and at his age they should be preparing for a Master to take them on as their Padawan. He's missed years of training and his attachment to you will be harder to get over now than if we'd found him years ago."

Shmi appreciated his honesty, but she also worried about it. Should the Council deny Anakin the ability to train as a Jedi, would he be able to deal with it? His hopes and dreams would be crushed. And if he wasn't taken to train, what was she supposed to do? If he was to become a Jedi, she would find herself some work and go about caring for herself. But if Anakin wasn't taken to train, she would have to come up with something for them much quicker. She hated the thought of not having her son with her and never seeing him again…but would he have a better life with the Jedi than with her? The mere thought caused her heart to constrict painfully. She wanted him to have the best life possible. Even if it meant he wasn't with her.

"The Council should be meeting again to deliver their final decision. I won't leave until Obi-Wan warns me that the time is coming, but I hate the thought of leaving you here while you're so worried," he told her in concern.

She smiled at him then, pressing the palm of her hand against his warm cheek. In response, he gently took her wrist to hold her arm still while he turned his head and pressed a kiss to the inside of her hand. "I'm a mother, you'll never get me to stop worrying," she said with a small laugh.

She turned serious then, taking Qui-Gon's hands in hers. "I saw Padme before she went to help the Queen prepare and Jar Jar and I were sent out with our guide and guards to tour the city," she said, teasing him a little over the amount of guards he'd sent with her. She'd expected a couple, but when they'd stepped from the building hours before, a dozen burly men had been waiting as though she'd been the Queen herself.

Qui-Gon smiled in response, brushing his lips over the backs of her knuckles. "Your safety means everything to me. I wasn't going to chance someone deciding to make you their prey while you traversed through the city."

Shmi laughed again, shaking her head at him. "Well, thank you. Anyone who walked within an arms length of me ran smack dab into a big, muscled chest and was glared into running away as fast as they would."

He chuckled, rubbing his thumbs over her fingers. "Then they did exactly what they were supposed to do. I will have to thank the Queen personally for picking out some of her best guards for you. She had plenty herself, but she'd promised she would spare a few of them for you."

"A few? There were a dozen of them, Qui-Gon!" she cried with a laugh. If that was his idea of a few, what did he think a lot was?

He chuckled again. "Yes, a few. Anyways, you were telling me about talking to Padme, not about the amount of protection I requested for you."

"Don't think we're done with that topic," she warned him with a smile. She turned serious once more. "Padme told Jar Jar and I that the Queen had decided to return to Naboo, no matter what happened at the Senate meeting today. If she returns, what will you do?" she asked. The question had been on her mind all day. She'd been able to tell from Padme's tone that, at least as far as the young woman thought, the Queen's return would start a war. Would her return put Qui-Gon in danger as her protector?

His fingers stilled as he examined the worry on her face. He didn't want her to be concerned about him, but he also wasn't willing to lie to her when she would know the truth anyways. "If the Queen returns, then the Council will likely send me as well. I was assigned as her protector, and I will have to continue that duty for as long as it's needed of me. And should war break out because of her return, then I will fight for her. But you, my love, will be nowhere near any fighting. I'll make certain of that."

"Qui-Gon—"

"This is something I refuse to argue about, Shmi," he told her seriously. "If I know you're safe somewhere far away from the fighting, I'll be able to concentrate. But if I'm worrying about you, I'll never be able to keep my mind on the fight. I'll be wondering if you're all right or if someone might have gotten their hands on you. I'll do anything to keep you safe, Shmi. Even if that means I have to lock you in a room somewhere and post guards at every door, window or hole in the wall. I won't have you somewhere that you might get hurt, accidentally or otherwise. I couldn't stand to lose you. Not now, not ever."

Her breath caught in her throat at his sworn promise and the fire in his eyes. He was serious about doing whatever it took to keep her safe. And it was as close to telling her those three words she longed not only to hear, but to release as well, as she was going to get right now. The mere thought of losing her nearly drove him mad. If it actually happened, he wasn't sure what he wouldn't do.

He suddenly pulled her against him, crushing her to his chest as his mouth covered her. She allowed him to possess her with a desperation she felt inside herself, curling one hand in his hair as the other clutched at his shoulder. With the threat of war playing on their minds, the stress they'd been under while trying to nurse this tender relationship, and unspoken feelings begging to be let out while there was still time…it was only a matter of time before they reached the dangerous edge they were hovering close to.

She gasped, pressing her cheek to the side of his neck when they finally broke free for air. Clinging to him for just a few more moments before pulling back to look at him. "Where will I be while you're with the Queen?" she asked breathlessly.

Qui-Gon pressed his forehead against hers as they both caught their breath. Staring into her eyes, he pondered that question once more. "I'll find a safe place for you and Anakin to await on the planet. I don't want you to be too far away, but I also don't want you to be too close to wherever it is the battles might break out. I know someone planetside who might be selling some property. If I can persuade him to sell it to me, would you like to live on Naboo?" he asked with a slight smile.

Shmi stared into his eyes for a moment as she thought it over. She would live there, but first she wanted to know a little about the planet. "What's Naboo like?" she asked quietly.

"It's a beautiful planet. Very green. Lots of plants, swamps, and interesting creatures. The inhabitants of the planet are the Queen's people and the Gungans, like Jar Jar. There's no slavery there, Shmi. You'll be a free woman. And I'll be certain you have enough credits that you don't have to work, but you can if you desire to." He smiled as he imagined her living on the planet in a house by one of the lakes, or maybe in the woods. Not in town, but not too far away. He could picture her tending a garden and waiting for him with a warm smile on her face. "Maybe you'll have a garden behind the house…"

A fond smile turned her lips up. "A garden…" she mused quietly, remembering to herself. "I can't remember too much before I was taken as a slave, but I can vaguely remember having a garden at my first home, wherever it was I lived. I was very young when I was taken from my parents, and I can't remember them or the house we lived in…but I can remember the color green. We didn't live on a desert planet and we had a garden…"

"That settles it then, you'll have one," he promised her, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. He pulled back and sighed, glancing toward the wall crono.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Obi-Wan. He was just informed that the Council wants us to meet with them shortly. If I leave now, I'll have enough time to get there and meet him before he and Anakin head for the Council chambers. It seems they've finally decided what to do about Anakin." He turned back to her and touched her face with the tips of his fingers. "Be ready. I have the feeling that the Queen will wish to leave as soon as I'm finished at the Temple."

"I will. Promise me that everything will be okay once we're there, Qui-Gon. Even if you have to lie, please just promise me," she whispered, staring into his eyes in desperation as time seemed to be closing in on them.

He gave her a slight smile. "Everything will be fine, love. I promise. I'll come back for you soon, we'll be off, and you'll see that everything will work out for the best." With that said, he pressed a single, lingering kiss to her lips before moving to the door and leaving the room.

Shmi sat alone for a moment before moving to the windows along the wall, eyes scanning the crowds in search of her loved one's figure. Lifting her eyes, she stared at the Jedi Temple not far off in the distance and pressed a hand over her heart. Qui-Gon may have promised that everything was going to be all right, but something inside her felt that it wasn't the truth. A small voice inside her warned her that things weren't going to be all right and that, by the end of this situation, she was going to get hurt.


	18. Chapter 15 Immediate Departure

**Okay, finally got them next chapter ready. This one's a bit longer than what I've been doing lately. This one is mostly light and fun, with only some seriousness every now and then. Shmi had a bit of a...well, a revelation you could say, about Qui-Gon's place in her life. I'm sure you'll recognize it what you get there. You might not agree exactly, but it's what my mother has told me all my life and it's what I personally believe. Okay, I don't want to give anything away.**

**Anyways, I think I've got about five, six or seven more chapters planned for this story, so you don't have to worry about this story ending right now or very, very soon. But do know that we're drawing closer to the ending. And I'd love to head how you all think this is going to play out or should play out. Can't wait to read your reviews, I always look forward to them.  
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**Okay, I'll stop jabbering and let you enjoy this next chapter. Enjoy!  
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**MTFBWY...DT  
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**Chapter Fifteen- Immediate Departure**

Shmi was normally a patient woman, able to wait for hours upon hours without worrying or fearing about the passing time. She'd always been able to focus on her work or cleaning her house, or some other menial task that would just pass time until whatever it was she was waiting for happened. But Shmi no longer seemed to be that woman.

She paced the room Qui-Gon had left her in hours before, unable to sit still long enough to do anything. She tried to busy herself with the various things the Queen's servants had brought her to keep her distracted, but none of it held her attention for more than a few minutes. She'd tried to immerse herself in one of the stories on the reading tablet they'd given her, but no matter how enthralling the love or action stories were, she thoughts always drifted back to either Qui-Gon or her son.

Anakin's future was currently held in the hands of Jedi Masters she knew nothing about, who knew nothing about her son or the extraordinary power he'd struggled his whole life to keep hidden from everyone but her. They held the power to make her son's dream a reality, or to crush it and leave him with nothing. If they rejected him, would her son be able to handle it? Or, should they accept him, how well would she be able to cope with having him suddenly taken from her life and all ties to him severed instantly? It was what he wanted to do with his life, so she would accept it…but that didn't mean it wouldn't kill her inside to never see her baby boy again. She would miss him like crazy.

She sighed and moved to stand at the window again, staring out over the expanse of the city to where the Jedi Temple stood up high enough for her to see the elegantly designed structure. Clasping her hands in front of her, she sent up a prayer to whatever deity might be listening for things to work out for the best.

Suddenly, the door behind her slid open with a soft _whoosh_, causing Shmi to jump slightly before turning around to see who'd come to keep her company this time. It was another of the Queen's many handmaidens', all of who's names had escaped Shmi since they never seemed to use them. The only one she remembered was Padme, simply because that was the only one ever addressed by her name. Shmi had come to the conclusion that there was something special about Padme, something that made everyone treat her differently than the other handmaidens.

"Ms. Skywalker, I've come to help you prepare for departure from the planet," the girl said in a soft voice that told Shmi she was unused to speaking. Padme seemed to be the only one of them that talked to anyone, including the Queen.

"Depart from the planet?" Shmi questioned uncertainly, casting a glance over her shoulder to the Temple behind her. The sun was setting, leaving the sky colored pink and orange, but the city was far from dark. Instead, lights from the city seemed to brighten to make up for the lake of sunlight. Qui-Gon hadn't returned yet, so why would they be leaving now?

"Yes. Jedi Master Jinn contacted Her Majesty a short time ago to inform her that he had completed his business at the Temple and would be ready to leave for Naboo very soon. Her Majesty wished me to see to it that you had everything ready for departure as soon as possibly, as Master Jinn instructed," she continued, relaying to Shmi what all she had been told and overheard. "The Jedi said you would be coming as well and that as soon as Her Majesty and yourself are ready, we'll depart for Naboo."

"As soon as I am ready?" she asked, blinking a few times. Everything she owned was still packed away on the ship where she'd insisted it should stay. As long as they would be leaving again, what point would there be in unloading anything? Besides a change of dress for herself, she'd taken nothing else off.

The girl nodded, eyes shifting to the stack of things that had been brought to her throughout the day before she gestured to the items sitting about the room. "I'll send one of the footmen in with a chest to pack your things away."

"My things?" Shmi questioned, turning to glance at the items the girl motioned to. "No, those are Her Majesty's. She must have told you that she was only loaning them to me for the time being."

The girl started shaking her head halfway through Shmi's statement. "No, m'lady, those are you things. Master Jinn had them sent over for your pleasure. He told one of the footmen to take note of anything that took your fancy while you were out today, and when he arrived earlier Master Jinn reviewed the list and sent him out to purchase the things for you, plus a few other things he thought you might like. Master Jinn has instructed us to pack them away so you would have them on the journey to Naboo." She turned away, saying over her shoulder. "I'll get the footman and help you pack." The closing door cut off the girl's retreating figure.

She walked over to one of the reading tablets, brushing her fingers over its sleek, cool surface. "Qui-Gon sent them?" she questioned quietly. With a soft smile, she shook her head realizing that these were many of the things she'd looked at earlier today. The only things not here were the gowns she'd been looking at. The man was definitely trying to spoil her, buying her these gifts that she would have never been able to afford before, even if she'd not been a slave.

She wouldn't have bemoaned never having these items as her own, but she did admit that they would probably entertain her when Anakin or Qui-Gon or even Padme were too busy to spend time with her. But more than that, they were from Qui-Gon, and she was determined to treasure anything he gave her, because she knew her time with him wouldn't be long. The Jedi would never allow him to continue seeing her, and she wouldn't want to cause him trouble by trying to keep up a relationship with him after they forbid it.

Shmi pushed those thoughts away when the young girl entered the room again, footman in tow carting a beautifully designed chest. The man placed the chest on the bench at her side and moved against the far wall in hopes of being out of her way until he was needed again. Once he was out of the way, the young handmaiden moved to Shmi's side and opened the chest, revealing the very gowns that Shmi had admired today, which the young woman explained "the Jedi Master" had apparently ordered for Shmi as well.

Soon, all the surprising gifts from Qui-Gon had been packed away and the chest carried out the door, apparently headed straight for the ship to be added to her other things. After that, Shmi was left alone again as the girl returned to the Queen to see if there was anything more she needed to do before their immediate departure.

Finally alone with her thoughts, Shmi thought about all the things Qui-Gon had purchased for her, shaking her head at the thought. She knew that the man had some money, but surely he didn't have enough to buy all these items for her, did he? While she was grateful for his concern and kindness, she was also worried that he believed she would expect such gifts and that he would be spending too much on her. He must realize she didn't need all these things.

Sighing, she decided she would just have to talk to him about this and tell him not to waste his money on trivial things that she didn't need. He should be saving for important things.

A few minutes later, the same handmaiden appeared to walk Shmi out of the building and to the ship where they would rendezvous with "the Jedi," as she put it.

Shmi could help but smile a little at her companion. This young woman's voice sounded strained, obviously unused to talking so much, yet she continued to chat away with Shmi in her soft voice as if she thought it were expected of her. And when Shmi tried to tell her she could rest her voice instead of speak, the girl's cheeks would turn bright red and she would duck her head, as if someone showing concern for her was unusual too, before continuing to speak.

It was obvious that, while the girl's voice was taking a toll today, she liked having someone to talk to. The thought that no one bothered to listen to her made Shmi frown a little in worry. Surely it couldn't be good on her to just sit around in silence waiting for her next command. Shouldn't she be out living her young life to the fullest?

Shmi bit her lower lips in worry. This bright, beautiful girl was lacking a social life in much the same way Shmi had when she'd been young, and obviously yearning for one just as much as she had. The only difference was that Shmi had been a slave and couldn't do anything about it, while this girl could. But, then again, Shmi thought, perhaps she was living the life of a slave, or at the least an indentured servant. It was possible that the girl had to serve the Queen, that she had no choice in the matter.

Shmi had just opened her mouth to ask the girl about her servitude to the Queen and how it came about when her eyes lifted just as the doors before them opened to reveal Qui-Gon waiting patiently on the other side. Immediately, all thoughts vanished as she took in his appearance.

Nothing had change in his looks, and yet everything was different. Since their last meeting, Shmi had thought she had prepared herself to give him up, to treasure the moments she still had with him because soon he would be forbidden to ever see her again. But now that he was standing in front of her, those warm blue eyes locked on her every movement as though nothing else in the world mattered, all those plans went down the drain. She wouldn't be able to survive without him.

It was true, losing Ani would crush her, would leave a gaping hole in her life and bring her immeasurable pain for the rest of her days…but losing Qui-Gon would be so much worse than that. He was her other half. Without him, there was nothing left for her. Somehow over the short time they'd known one another, he had become the most important thing in her life.

She finally understood how women could choose their husbands over their children, how they could save the man they loved while their children's lives ended. It wasn't because they didn't love their kids, but it was because their husbands were more than just a part of them, they were half of the women. Without him, the woman was nothing. And when their husbands were taken from them and their children no longer needed them, she knew why women waited for death, because there was nothing to keep them going in life.

She felt a trickle of guilt over thinking Qui-Gon was more important than Anakin, but then pushed the thought away. That was how it was supposed to be. Qui-Gon was her partner for life, even if he wasn't in her life she knew that was certain now. He would always be a part of her life. Anakin was a big part of her life, but the day would come when he would meet his life partner, if it wasn't the lively young Padme, and he would no longer need her.

For so long, her son had been the bane of her existence, the center of her world…but that had all changed when she'd met Qui-Gon. Her priorities had shifted to fit him into the equation. She hated to even think that Anakin might feel he was somehow less important to her, but one day he would come to understand that your life partner, or spouse should you marry, had to come first in your life and then your children. And one day, that would be his life should he be lucky enough to have a life partner and children.

She moved to him without even thinking about it, stopping in front of him with a slight smile. Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of orange, telling her the girl had followed her and felt her cheeks warm. Clasping her hands behind her back, she fought the urge to reach out and touch him. "Hello, Master Jinn," she murmured quietly, feeling suddenly shy about her reaction to seeing him and not wanting to reveal too much to the young girl with the intimacy of using his first name.

"Miss. Skywalker," he replied, something flashing in his eyes that turned them a pale blue-grey as he flicked a glance over her shoulder. He gave a nod to the handmaiden, who repeated the gesture before turning away and retreating inside once more. Once alone, Qui-Gon offered Shmi his arm and led her toward the ship. "Why the formality, my dear?" he asked with a tight smile.

Shmi gave him a sideways, uncertain glance before looking forward once more, her cheeks burning a brighter pink than before. "I didn't want to use your given name in front of the girl and chance her inferring something she shouldn't."

"Ah, so it wasn't for the footman who followed discreetly behind the two of you, watching your every move as though you are a goddess gracing him with your mere presence," he said in that clipped tone, his expression hard as he stared straight forward.

Shmi suddenly stopped, eyes widening with realization. The look in his eyes that she'd not been able to place, that clipped almost snide tone to his voice, was jealousy. A part of her liked that she welded some sort of womanly power of him, enough to cause this reaction, and another part of her melted at the thought that he cared so much to even _be_ jealousy of a man whose presence she'd not even noticed.

"Why, are you jealousy, Qui-Gon Jinn?" she whispered to him.

Qui-Gon looked down at Shmi and noted the amusement in her tone, but what made him relax was the soft look in her eyes that said he had nothing to worry about. "Well, he is young and able. Also, from the looks I noticed the handmaidens giving him, I gather that he's pleasing to the female eye," he stated, working to lighten his tone. Never had he felt jealousy over a woman. What had gotten into him?

She gave him a tender smile, shaking her head slowly. "You never have a reason to be jealous. I don't care how young or handsome he is, you're the most beautiful man I've ever laid eyes on. There was no one before you, and there will be no one after you," she said honestly. Once the words had left her mouth, Shmi's eyes widened, afraid she'd revealed too much in her moment of honesty.

Qui-Gon's heart swelled at what Shmi said, glad she said there would be no man but him in her life. She'd not spoken on her feelings for him, but he'd found himself hoping recently that whatever she felt for him, those feelings ran deep and wouldn't be easily forgotten.

When his eyes dipped to her mouth and turned a darker shade of blue, Shmi recognized the signs that he wanted to kiss her. She'd noticed a few times before how his eyes changed colors with his moods, telling her how he felt even when he kept the emotion from his face.

"Let me show you to your room once more," he told her, flashing a wicked grin before drawing her onto the ship and leading her through the corridors at a quick pace. When they reached her room, he drew her inside and closed the door behind them, immediately drawing her into his arms and covering her mouth with his in a kiss that told her his feelings were just as strong as her own.

Shmi sighed and gave herself into the kiss, gripping his shoulders as she reveled in his possession. When he pulled back, she made a sound of disappointment before opening her eyes to see a look of male satisfaction on his face that was, to her surprise, quite a bit smug. She would have laughed, knowing the look was because he was thinking that the young man he'd said was interested in her would never have a chance to kiss her senseless as Qui-Gon had just done. Again, she would have laughed, had it not been for the fact that she'd apparently turned to putty in his hands and her breath was coming in fast pants.

When she looked past him, her eyes caught on the chest sitting in the corner. The chest that was filled with things Qui-Gon had apparently bought for her today, things he'd had one of the Queen's footmen purchase simply because Shmi had shown interest in them. Turning her gaze back to him, she gave him as stern a look as she could manage while still trying to regain her breath and wait for her bones to harden once more. "Are you trying to waste all you credits?" she questioned in a voice that wasn't as demanding as she would have liked.

He blinked at her in surprise before casting a glance over his shoulder at the chest Shmi gestured to. At first he was confused, before he realized she was referring to thing items he'd instructed to be bought her today. Turning back to her, he asked, "Don't you like your presents?"

"You know I do, since you had a spy watching for what I showed any interested in. I do like them, and I appreciate what you did, but I'm sure you have better things, more important things, to save and spend your credits on than things for me," she told him seriously, hands resting on his upper arms.

Qui-Gon smiled them, tightening his hold on her waist. "I've been saving my credits for years, waiting for something important to spend them on. You came into my life, and I found that important thing. Let me spend my credits on you, to show you how special you are to me at least."

She couldn't help but smile at him. "So I was right, you are trying to spoil me," she told him with a slight laugh. Shaking her head a little, she continued to smile up at him. "You don't have to buy me things to show me how you feel. I can see it in your eyes, feel it in the way you touch me…" she trailed off, pressing a hand to his cheek.

He leaned into her touch, turning his head to press a kiss to her wrist. "Yes, I want to spoil you. I want to shower you with expensive gifts which that footman could never dream to buy you, that way I know I'll never lose you to him," he vowed with an amused glint in his eyes.

"Again with the footman!" Shmi cried on a laugh, sliding her arms around his neck. "Maybe I should go take a second look at him, it appears I've overlooked something in him if you're so worried I'll leave you for him," she said teasingly.

Qui-Gon had her backed against the wall in the blink of an eye, caging her there with his body pressed lengthwise against hers. "I don't think so, dearest. I'll just keep you here until all thoughts of that young man have left your mind."

She blinked up at him, distracted by the feel of his body pressed so close to hers. "What young man?"

A wicked grin curled his lips as he nipped at her ear. "Exactly."

Shmi was just about to forget everything they been talking about and everything she'd wanted to discuss with him to give in to Qui-Gon's kissed when he pulled back from her again. He released all but her hand, using this hold to draw her to sit on the sleep couch with him.

His fingers brushed across her cheek as he let out what sounded like a groan of frustration. "As much I would love to stay here and give in to that look you're giving me, I sense the Queen has finally boarded with her handmaidens and so we'll be leaving soon."

She let out her own disappointed sigh before nodding. Qui-Gon leaned in to press a quick kiss to her sensitive lips before starting for the door. "Wait!" she called after him, suddenly recalling one thing she'd wanted to talk to him about. How could she have forgotten? "What did the Council say about Ani? Will they train him?"

Qui-Gon gave her a look that said he wished she'd not recalled this question, but instead of rushing off he turned to her to address her questions. "The Council believes Anakin is too old to train, so they have said they refuse."At her dejected look, he continued on, stepping forward to grasp her shoulders in a light hold. "But I will still train him, no matter what the Council says. Anakin is the Chosen One, I can feel it. I will not allow us to pass up on this chance simply because the Council is to blind to see the truth."

"But, Qui-Gon, won't you get in trouble for going against their orders?" she asked with worry, reaching out to brace her hands on his arms as well.

He sent her a half smile. "Disobeying the Council's orders is what I do best. I hardly ever listen to them when I feel they are looking at things in the wrong way. Like they are now." He leaned forward to brush a kiss across her forehead. "Don't fret over it, love. Everything will work out fine. I hate to just leave you here, but Obi-Wan is about to come searching for me. I must go now, sweet, but I'll return later."

"Later then," she whispered, still worried despite his reassurance that everything would be okay. She watched him leave before sighing and deciding she would go in search of Ani to see how he was taking the news.

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Qui-Gon slipped into Shmi's chambers, trying to remain quiet. He didn't want to draw anyone's attention to the fact that he was entering into his own chambers in the middle of the night.

Shmi was stretched out in bed, her beautiful face framed by her dark hair as he slept on her side, curled around the same pillow that her head rested on. He smiled to himself, stripping out of all but his inner tunic bottoms and placing the rest of his clothing on the bench nearest the door before heading for the sleep couch Shmi rested on.

As he climbed in behind her, Shmi woke up, turning her head to give him a sleepy smile. "Just sleep, sweetheart," he whispered as he drew her back against his chest, curling one arm around her slim waist and urging her to rest her head on his other arm, best on the pillow above her. She settled against him and he pressed a kiss into her hair, smiling to himself and content just to hold her while she slept.

One hand stroked the arms around her waist in a lazy, sleepy manner. Slowly, her fingers quit moving until her hand lay limp against his forearm as she drifted back to sleep.

Qui-Gon felt sleep tugging at him as well, his eyelids so heavy they just refused to open anymore. Just before he was completely pulled under and into sleep's waiting embrace, he pulled Shmi a little tighter against him and whispered, "I'll never let you go, my love. Never."


	19. Chapter 16 Confrontations

**Sorry it's taken me so long to upload this. I was having issues with my computer again and then I started to do one thing with this chapter before changing it, instead what I was going to do will be for the next chapter. I've had this typed up for a while now, trying to decide if I would continue with what I had planned or just upload this and leave my other plans for the next chapter. So hopefully the next chapter won't take so long. Okay, I ought to shut it now, lol. Enjoy!**

**MTFBWY...DT  
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**Chapter Sixteen- Confrontations**

Qui-Gon was sitting on his sleep couch, pulling his boots on when they door to his chambers suddenly slid open. On the other side stood Obi-Wan, an uncertain yet slightly determined look on his face. He entered slowly, moving to stand in the middle of room, straight across from his master. Qui-Gon merely arched one brow in response to his padawan's presence, straightening up in his seated position. "I assume there's a reason for your being here instead of at your post. If you're looking to be relieved from it, you're a bit early, my always punctual padawan."

"Actually, I wished to speak to you over something of growing importance, Master," Obi-Wan began, looking his master and friend in the eyes. When the older man motioned from his to continue, Obi-Wan took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was sure would be a difficult conversation to have, and pressed on despite the urge to forget about the whole thing. "It's about Ms. Skywalker."

Qui-Gon immediately went still, working to keep any emotion from entering his face, thoughts, or their bond. He wasn't going to let on that there was anything going on between Shmi and himself. While he trusted his padawan with his life, this was a different matter entirely. Should anyone find out about his relationship with the woman and it get back to the Council, they would never allow him to see her again. "What do you mean? Is she alright?" he asked, trying to sound like Obi-Wan's comment hadn't brought everything in him to a stand still. He forced himself to relax and give the younger man an innocently confused look.

"I normally don't question the things you do, on occasion I might if I have concerns, but I know your methods produce valuable results—even if they are brought about by a process with which the Council wouldn't have picked as their first choice. I also know you always have the best intentions in mind when you do things," Obi-Wan paused, having been pacing through the beginning of his speech, and looked back at his master, uncertainty once more on his face before he spoke again. "But your relationship with Ms. Skywalker can have no good outcome. Should she care deeply for you, she will only be crushed when it is forced to end. The Council will never allow anything to come out of this, and they will surely find out about it, even though I will never say anything to them," he quickly vowed, as if fearful his master would think he might betray him. "And you will be hurt in the end as well."

Obi-Wan moved a step closer to Qui-Gon. "Master, you have hidden your relationship well. You've guarded your thoughts well, made certain you acted only as one would think while in public with her, and never allowed anyone to see you leaving her chambers when the time comes for me to rest. The only reason I know you've not stayed in here is because there are no signs of it, and I came in here once on the journey from Tatooine to find you absent. And to her credit, Ms. Skywalker has watched herself in public so she too would never give anything away, and her feelings have been nearly impossible to detect since meeting her.

"On occasion, though, I have felt something cross our bond, despite your efforts to keep everything from me," he continued, and Qui-Gon could tell his padawan was a little hurt by his keeping this from the young man. "At first, I decided to keep my knowledge to myself, to pretend as though I knew nothing because I could sense how happy you were in her presence—but I find I can no longer be silent. Master, your feelings for her have increased, so much more than I expected. Your feelings are so strong that I have come to worry. What you feel for this woman surpasses even what you felt for Master Tahl years ago. Losing her nearly destroyed you—and I have come to the alarming conclusion that, to lose Ms. Skywalker, will be your undoing. I don't know if you will be able to come back from this like you did when Master Tahl was killed."

Qui-Gon remained silent. There was nothing to say because he'd already come to the same conclusion that Obi-Wan had. Losing Shmi would send him over that dark cliff, into the abyss he'd barely escaped from before. There would be no coming back from it this time. He'd come to one conclusion on how he might keep from losing Shmi, but it unfortunately meant he would lose someone else important to him, a fate he didn't wish but would risk if it meant he could keep Shmi. But he wasn't going to tell his padawan that.

"I wanted to remain silent, wanted to allow you to be free, because I know that there a times when it is necessary. The life we live is a hard one, bonds are forged where and when they shouldn't, and severed when another outcome would be preferable." He sighed, shaking his head slowly. "A life with Ms. Skywalker in it is an impossible one, Master."

"And yet a life without her is just as impossible," Qui-Gon replied in a soft voice, coming to his feet slowly. "Jedi should not have to live alone, because when one is alone there's nothing to stop him from giving in to darker impulses. Morals, beliefs, honor—these things can be corrupted, can erode over time and be tested throughout life until they're no longer the driving points in a person's life. But people, loved ones, those beings who mean so much to you that the mere thought of losing them gives you physical pain, they can keep a man going. When he has nothing else in this world—they keep him from giving in and going down that easier path, simply because doing so would mean disappointing them."

Qui-Gon moved forward, coming to stand before Obi-Wan, settling his hands on the other man's shoulders. "This is why Masters have padawans and vice versa—it's more than just training, it's giving them someone to cling to when times get tough. When one of them is tempted, they have the other to look to, to keep them on the right path. When that bond is severed, when they no longer have one another, they can give into that temptation and become corrupted. This is why, once padawans become Masters themselves, sometimes their Masters turn to the Dark Side or why the padawan turns. It's the reason they need to find another padawan or their own, so they once more have someone—because when they lose them, they can have nothing left.

"The Council claims we shouldn't have attachments, yet they also urge us to by giving us padawans. They know the importance of having another being in our lives, yet by forbidding attachments, they hope we don't realize the importance of others._ That_, padawan, is why I am not a Council member. They manipulate the way we think, doing it for 'good' reasons, and dislike it when others point out the faults in their reasoning." He smiled a little, shaking his head. "I have seen too many faults in the Code, too many faults in our laws, to be a Council member and dictate with them. I would wish to change them, and that is why I have not been accepted as a member—they fear I will sway the judgment of other Council members until there is no choice but to change the Code. Loving someone can get a person through tough times. Don't fear it, padawan, but do it with an open heart, for it will be thing that keeps you from losing yourself should you lose them."

Obi-Wan lifted a hand to touch his Master's shoulder, looking a little worried again. "Just remember your own warning, Master."

Qui-Gon inclined his head before turning away and moving to the door. He had always instructed his padawan to love with an open heart. He'd learned the lesson the hard way when Tahl had been killed. He didn't wish for Obi-Wan to have to learn the same way. But now he was in the position again where he found loving Shmi with an open heart to be difficult. The mere thought of not having her in his life, of seeing her essence fade from her as he'd seen it fade from Tahl, caused him such pain he wondered if someone had thrust a lightsaber through his gut. What was it about her that totally undid him? That pushed him past the limits of his control?

Shaking his head, Qui-Gon decided it was something he would need to figure out later. For now, he had duties to attend to.

* * *

Shmi straightened her skirt, looking herself over in the mirror, tilting her head from side to side as she examined herself in the gown she was currently wearing—it was one of the gowns Qui-Gon had bought for her. She'd spent quite some time staring at them in awe, finally picking out the one she thought he would like best, before she merely sat with it in her lap, running her fingers over the material in amazement of how fine it was when compared to her old gowns. When she'd realized just how much time she'd wasted, she'd quickly dawned the gown.

Forcing herself to turn away from the mirror, her eyes caught on a small bag she'd not noticed before. It sat against the wall, pushed into the corner, the view of it nearly completely obscured by the stand also sitting in the corner. It was as if someone had pulled the thing away from the wall just enough to hide the satchel behind it.

Moving forward, she frowned down at the thing. She was certain it hadn't been with her things as they'd been carted out to the ship. She'd also not seen them last night when she'd gone to bed, so it meant someone had placed them there while she was sleeping.

But the only person to enter her room then had been Qui-Gon, and he hadn't been carrying the thing…had he?

Kneeling on the floor, she pulled the small bag out from where it had been hidden before she quickly smoothed her skits out in an effort to keep from wrinkling them. It would be pointless to have made herself look nice, but ruin her dress before Qui-Gon could even see her in it. Not when she'd gone to all the trouble that she had. No, she wouldn't mess up her soft new dress before she knew if he liked it or not. But that didn't mean she wasn't going to see what was in the mysterious bag now lying right in front of her.

She lifted the bag's lip to stare inside with a frown. A tan colored tunic and brown cloak matching the ones Qui-Gon typically wore rested inside. It wasn't the presence of the extra clothing that had Shmi's frown deepening, but that they had been hidden. Besides, she was certain Qui-Gon had been carrying a different bag into his room with Obi-Wan when they'd first boarded the ship. One that was bigger and said to have contained more than just one spare change of clothes.

But why would Qui-Gon had hidden this pair?

Shmi was just contemplating the question when the door slid open and Qui-Gon entered into the room. He paused when he saw her on a the floor, a heated look coming to his eyes and he took in her new dress, before his gaze turned to the bag she held open before her. When his eyes landed on it, an almost guilty expression crossed his face.

"What's this?" she asked quietly, confusion in her voice.

"That's…" he trailed off, meeting her gaze for a moment before it flicked back to the bag. When his eyes returned to hers, there was something there in his look that she couldn't quite place, even though he gave her his most disarming smile. "Just a spare change of clothes I thought to put in here. I didn't want the thing in your way, so I put it back there. Nothing to waste time thinking about."

Shmi didn't say anything to him, but she certainly wanted to. Unfortunately, she couldn't speak past the sudden lump in her throat and the tears that threatened to burn her eyes as her heart constricted with pain. Because, for the first time since meeting him, Qui-Gon had lied to her.

Looking down, she quickly flipped the satchel closed again and pushed it back in the corner out of the way once more. If he wasn't going to trust her enough to tell her the actual reason behind the clothes, then she wasn't going to ask and she wasn't going to bother him about it. Because, in the end, that was what hurt her the most. The fact that he was, for the first time, lying to her. If he'd simply told her he'd rather not answer, or even that it wasn't her business, while she would have been disappointed or surprised, it wouldn't have hurt her much. But the mere fact that he'd lied suggested that he was keeping something from her, deceiving her. And she couldn't handle that.

Getting to her feet, she busied herself with brushing out her skirts once more. It wasn't to keep the soft material from wrinkling, but instead to avoid looking at him. She didn't wish for him to know how much he'd hurt her just now. Better he think she didn't care than she was bothered by it.

Finally raising her head, she forced a pleasant smile for him and started to brush past him and out the door. "Well, Anakin is probably knee deep in trouble somewhere, so I think I'll go find him. Just send someone to tell me when we're about to land, that way I can make sure he's ready for…well, whatever we'll have to face while planet side."

Qui-Gon caught Shmi's arm when she went to slip past him, a frown creasing his brow. He was well aware of the fact that she'd caught his lie, had seen the hurt flash in her eyes before she'd looked away from him, but wasn't sure what exactly he could do about it. He couldn't tell her about his plans, because he didn't want her to worry about him or anything like that. He also didn't want to chance Obi-Wan or the others finding anything out should he happen to be able to read her in a rare moment when her mental shields were down.

"Wait," he started, surprised when she tensed at his touching her. It caused his frown to deepen, realizing just how much he'd messed up with the lie, small as it was. Shmi Skywalker was not a woman who would take lying, for any reason, lightly. And it had apparently caused her to erect a wall between them, an outcome he'd not foreseen when he'd come to the conclusion to make something up about the bag instead of just tell her that he simply couldn't tell her.

When she turned her gaze on him, there was no softening to her eyes, no slow curl to her lips. Her reaction was nothing like he'd come to expect. Instead, she had once more plastered that pleasant smile on her face, a smile devoid of the warmth he'd come to depend on, and her eyes were calm and collected. All together, she was cool and composed, a distance to her that he'd never experienced with her, not even when they'd first met. She could have been galaxies away from him, and not have been farther out of his reach than she appeared to be right then.

Where was the woman he'd held through the night while he slept? Where was the woman who'd gotten under his skin before he'd even realized she was doing it, who could unknowingly drive him to distraction with just her presence? Where was the woman whose smile could bring him to his knees, whose tears would surely make him search the galaxies for anything to end them? Where was the woman who he'd made love to time and time again, yet still wanted her as if it would be the first time? Bantha fodder, where was the woman he'd fallen in love with?!

"Yes, Master Jinn?" she asked politely, waiting for him to continue.

And with those words, she drove home just how much he'd screwed up, very nearly tearing the heart from his chest with the realization that, through trying to keep from losing her, he could have possibly just lost her forever.

"I'm sorry, Shmi," he whispered, his voice relaying the agony he was feeling at causing her any harm. "You know I wasn't telling the truth there, and I can tell that you do, but I didn't know what to say. I thought, stupidly I might add, that saying something like I did would be better than saying that I couldn't tell you. I honestly cannot tell you the whole reason behind the satchel. It's not that I don't trust you," he assured her quickly, noting the way her eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly and guessing what she was thinking, "because I do, with my life even, and I know you would never say anything should I ask you not too…but I can't risk Obi-Wan reading it from you in one of the rare moments your guard is down. But, more than that, I don't want to worry you, or get your hopes up, or anything that might come of my telling you the truth…"

Qui-Gon stopped, shaking his head as he let out a sigh. He was rambling, something he'd never thought he would have a problem with and never had one with in the past. But the thought of losing Shmi through his own fault, knowing he couldn't have her simply because he'd been an idiot, was too much for him. He could stand the thought of the Council forbidding it, or if he died trying to keep her safe…but not if he were alive and able to see her, but couldn't just because of a mistake on his part.

That was when he came to the realization of something very important, something he should have never been able to overlook: he was afraid. Fear wasn't a common emotion for him, but it also wasn't something completely new to him. He'd been afraid in battles, both for himself and those he knew fighting with him. Even with Tahl's death, he hadn't been too afraid. He'd known that she would join the Force and he would still feel her presence and see her when he too became one with it.

But Shmi was different. When her death came, she wouldn't join the Force in the same essence as Tahl had. There would be no meeting on the other side, simply because she wouldn't have the training to sense the Force, to connect with it in a way that would keep her body, mind and soul connected through the end.

If he screwed up now, never saw her again, there would be no reuniting once they both passed on. He would simply never see her again, never hold her, nothing. He would continue on through the ages on the other side, only getting wisps of her essence as what was left of her surged through the Force, while he was an entity on the other side, wishing he could reach through and retrieve her from where she was caught, missing her and loving her while never having her again.

He quickly began to wonder if it wasn't too late to teach her at least some of the ways of the Force. While Yoda had always said that, after so long, a person lost the ability to use the Force, he'd never mentioned the ability to connect with it. Surely it was never too late for that. He could only hope so, because he wasn't sure he could survive through the afterlife without Shmi there with him.

Qui-Gon was pulled from his thoughts when her fingers brushed over his cheeks. Focusing on her once more, he quickly noted how she'd relaxed beneath his hand, that soft look entering her eyes once more even as her smile turned real. He'd not spoken his revelations out loud, had he?

"All you had to do was tell me the truth, even the little bit you gave me just now. I don't need to know everything, just enough to know that you aren't purposefully deceiving me or keeping things from me. I just need to know that you trust me and want to tell me everything, even if you can't." She smiled a little more, moving a step closer to him. "I'm not going to force you to tell me something you don't want to or can't. I'd just rather you not lie to me about it."

Qui-Gon felt as though a weight had been lifted off his chest at the change, once more recognizing her as the woman he cared so much for as the wall he'd forced up between them came down once more.

"You'll never have to force me to tell you anything, love. I don't want to keep anything from you, ever." He pulled her back inside the room, reaching out to push a button on the wall panel, closing the doors so he was alone with her. "All you ever have to do is ask, and I'll tell you everything that I can."

Shmi smiled warmly at him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "Well then, you don't have to send someone to tell me when we land. You can come yourself," she teased.

As if someone had flicked a switch inside him, Qui-Gon's face went from relaxed to grim in an instant. At the change of expression and the tension that entered into his body, which would have been unnoticeable had she not come to be so in tune with him, she immediately knew something was wrong. "What is it?" she asked quickly.

Qui-Gon took Shmi by the arm in a gentle but firm hold. Drawing her toward the bed, he sat her down before lowering himself beside her with a weary sigh. She could clearly see the lines of tension that drew the muscles in his body taunt, as if he might snap at the smallest touch. "We're landing soon. And once we do, Her Majesty plans to visit the Gungans, Jar Jar Binks' people, to request their help."

"Their help with what?" she asked in a quiet voice, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Looking straight into her eyes, Qui-Gon breathed a word she'd subconsciously hoped not to hear. "War."


	20. Chapter 17 Confessions

**Okay, I'm sorry its been so long since I last updated...I had a lot of papers and exams, not to mention I participated in Nation Novel Writing Month this year (first time). But in an attempt to make it up to you...I made this an extra long chapter. :D And when I say "extra long," I mean this is about 12 pages worth on Microsoft Word alone and the whole thing is almost 10,000 word alone. I hope that makes the long wait a little better and I will try not to take so long next time (finals week, so I'll have about a month's break before my next semester starts, so I should get the next chapter out soon).  
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**So before you get to it…yes, I know, Dané wasn't actually Padmé's handmaiden at this time, but I like her character and backstory the best, so I decided I was going to use her anyways. Not to mention Padmé only took three handmaidens with her, but I decided that, for my story, there were going to be four instead and that Dané would be one of them. So just for this story, pretend that Dané was Padmé's handmaiden at the time and that there were really four of them there, lol.**

**I'm also introducing a "new" character of mine. He's not really new, but I've really only used him in one of my other stories, and not much is known about him. I recently planned out his whole background and intend to start writing stories with him as the main character, so tell me what you think about him and if you'd read about his life—which will be much different than my normal characters/stories, I'll tell you now.**

**Also, I'm going to delve into the world of Star Trek eventually for those of whom might be interested. I have two stories planned out, one of which is going to be a one-shot and the other potentially a chapter story (if so, probably short, but I'll decide that when I get there).  
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**Okay, I think I've updated you on everything, so... Enjoy!  
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**MTFBWY...DT  
**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen- Confessions**

Shmi sat on the edge of the bed, ringing her hands in her lap. After telling her about their proximity to the planet and the queen's plan to wage war for her people, he'd left her alone. She understood that he needed to be elsewhere now, but she wished that he could be with her so that she could talk to him more. But he'd promised to return because they had more to discuss about it.

Qui-Gon had only been gone for a short time when one of the queen's handmaidens, the same one that Shmi had chatted away with Shmi before they'd left Corescont, lead Anakin and C-3PO into the room and then quickly left. It seemed that the three of them would be remaining in her quarters for the short remainder of the journey.

Anakin sat on the floor before her, speaking in low tones with C-3PO about all the grand plan he had while he looked over the androids parts and made what minor adjustments he could. He'd been provided with some spare parts that had been found and he'd proceeded to keep himself occupied by seeing what he could use to give 3PO some coverings. So far he'd managed to cover the top of his head as well as part of one forearm, but there didn't seem to be much he could do without having the proper tools to cut and reshape some of the larger pieces of metal.

The three of them grew silent, all listening intently as they entered into the planet's atmosphere and began their descent. It wasn't too much longer before they could hear the grinding of the landing gear and the ship shook as it touched down on the ground.

Waiting was one thing Anakin wasn't very good at though. Almost as soon as they were on the ground, he was off the floor and across the room, opening the door and looking out into the hall.

Anakin, come back in here," Shmi chided him, getting to her feet and pulling him back into the room so she could shut the door. "Master Jinn will come for us when everything is safe. So, until then, I want you to clean up your mess so that one of the queen's handmaidens doesn't have to do it. Go on, put all those parts back into the carrier." She waved him back to where C-3PO stood waiting.

"Yes, Mother," he muttered on a sigh, trudging back over and kneeling on the floor. Scooping the metal pieces up into his arms, he dumped them into the carrier they'd been brought to him in before going back to his pile for more.

Shmi smiled a little before sending a worried look to the door, hoping Qui-Gon would come through it soon. She wondered about where they would be and what they would be doing while the queen went to see the Gungans. Would they be with Qui-Jon? Or would they be kept away from him, since he might very well be in the most dangerous parts of the fighting? She wasn't certain, but she wanted to speak to him about it.

She moved back to the bed and sat down, watching Anakin for a moment before her gaze turned to the pillows beside her. Reaching out, she laid one hand where Qui-Gon's head had been the night before, letting out a small sigh as she thought about how different her life had become since she'd met him. She knew so many things now she never would have imagined possible before him. She'd never thought she would come to love someone as quickly and fully as she'd come to love him, but she knew that was exactly what had happened. She just wasn't certain if she should tell him or not.

When she glanced up, she caught 3PO watching her with that knowing expression of hers and felt her cheeks grow warm. She pulled her hand from the pillow, placing it on her lap once more as she looked away from him.

Just then, the door opened. Shmi jumped to her feet, her heart thumping faster, but felt disappointment thread its way through her when it wasn't Qui-Gon who stepped through the doorway, but instead the handmaiden who'd brought Anakin and C-3PO to her before.

"Please, gather your things as quickly as possible and follow me. Whatever you cannot carry, these men will help you with," she murmured in a soft voice of hers before stepping aside and allowing two guards to enter into the room.

Shmi smiled to herself and quickly lowered her head when she noticed that the second man to enter into the room was the young footman Qui-Gon had been speaking to her about before, then one he'd said had been watching her with interest and following her around. She studied him with a critical eye from beneath her lashes while he bent to pick up the chest of things from Qui-Gon, but dismissed his looks immediately as inferior to the Jedi Master's, at least in her mind. She turned her gaze to the young woman's as he passed her and moved out into the hall, and noted the way her cheeks flushed and she quickly looked away from him.

The boy wasn't bad looking, but he was just that: a boy. At least to Shmi he was. He would be better suited for a young woman such as the pretty handmaiden than an old woman like Shmi anyways. Not to mention a woman with a son who was probably half his age or more. The young man couldn't be over twenty years, if that.

She started to smile, before her brow turned to a crease and she looked towards the door. Where was Qui-Gon? He'd promised to come get her when they landed, so where was he? She should have been worried at the way she'd become addicted to his presence, at the way she ached to see him even if it was only for a moment, but she couldn't find it in herself to bother with worrying over her feelings. She was going to accept them no matter the consequences, because it was too late to turn back now.

"Where are we going?" Anakin asked as he finished cleaning up his mess of parts. As soon as he'd completed his task, another guard entered into the room, picked up the carrier and left just as quickly.

"The Jedi, Master Jinn, didn't tell me. He merely instructed me to tell you to pack up your things and get ready to leave," the girl said in a voice that was beginning to sound strained. She'd probably spoken more over the last few days than she had since becoming the queen's handmaiden.

Shmi moved closer to the girl and lowered her voice, not wanting Anakin to hear her. "Is Her Majesty going to be meeting Jar Jar's people yet?" she asked in a quiet voice, masking her worry so her son wouldn't catch on. She didn't want him to know anything about the upcoming war, and she certainly didn't want to have him worrying over Qui-Gon and whether or not he would make it through the battles. Shmi was doing enough worrying for the both of them, then some.

"No, ma'am. The Gungan creature and the younger Jedi are going to meet with his people and arrange a meeting for tomorrow at the latest. Her majesty hoped to be able to meet today, but Master Jinn doesn't believe it will be so simple to arrange the meeting. That's why the younger one, Kenobi, is going as well, to try and persuade the Gungan ruler to listen to Queen Amidala," she explained.

"Then why are we getting our things?" she wondered in confusion.

When the girl cleared her throat quietly, Shmi knew she needed to rest her voice for a while. Before she could tell her that, the younger woman began speaking once more. "I believe the Jedi Master doesn't want you and your son where the fighting is. I believe he wants to keep you safe." The girl blushed a little and looked away for a moment before slowly lifting her gaze to meet Shmi's, the corners of her lips pulling at a smile. "He is a very handsome man, ma'am."

Shmi felt herself blush as well, clearing her throat as she quickly looked away. "Really? I hadn't truly noticed…" she mumbled, knowing the lie didn't sound right on her lips and hating herself for even uttering it. She hated lies and she'd always been proud of herself for never doing it, but she couldn't risk Qui-Gon getting in trouble because someone found out about their relationship. It seemed there was an exception to her rule of never lying that she hadn't foreseen before.

"Don't worry, ma'am," the girl whispered in a voice even softer than before, as though she worried someone might overhear them. "I promise never to tell a soul. Not even Her Majesty."

Shmi couldn't help smiling down at the younger woman, noticing for the first time the way she seemed to appear more relaxed. She'd seen the girl a few times with the queen, but she never smiled and her eyes were always locked on the floor. She was always quiet and tense, but whenever she was around Shmi the girl seemed to smile and speak comfortably. While at first she'd only ever said anything when Shmi had spoken to her first, she appeared to be coming out of her shell finally. It seemed that Shmi had made a friend in the young woman.

"So, why are you with the queen?" Shmi finally asked. The question had been plaguing her and she finally couldn't wait any longer to know why.

A strange look crossed the girl's face that Shmi had never seen her give before…but she had seen it, many times in fact. Qui-Gon had the same look when he was composing himself in order to keep something from others. It appeared that, for whatever reason, this was a subject the handmaiden didn't want to answer.

"I'm sorry," Shmi quickly apologized, feeling a wall go up between her and the young girl. "I was just curious." She waited a moment before a thought struck her. "You've never told me what your name is," she said with a bit of wonder that she hadn't bothered to ask. She was embarrassed for herself because she hadn't even thought of it.

After a moment of silence, the girl's mask slowly dropped and she relaxed once more. "My name is Dané," she replied quietly. She hesitated again before she began to speak in that quiet voice of hers. "I used to want to be a musical performer, but when my parents died and I was left with the farm, I couldn't do it. I also couldn't handle the farm and it wasn't long before I was in debt. That farm had been in my family for generations, but I had no choice but it hand it over to the people I owed, because there was no other way I could pay them. I eventually found myself in Keren and used what money I had left to volunteer for the Royal Naboo Security Forces. I didn't exactly have any other options. I must have impressed Captain Panaka, because he set me up as a handmaiden to the queen. And here I am."

"Do you like it?" Shmi asked after listening to the girl's story and she grew quiet. She didn't know what all the girl's 'job' called for, but she had the feeling this petite girl was some sort of warrior who could hold her own against someone twice her size. She also seemed to be very intelligent.

Dané made a quick face that clearly answered Shmi's question before a smile spread across her lips. Her green eyes sparkled with mischief and Shmi couldn't help but smile in return. "I don't like being told what to do, even if I am good at my job. I've been considering putting in a request to transfer. Don't get me wrong, I like the queen and the other handmaidens, but this isn't exactly the kind of thing I want to be doing. I'd rather be out there taking down the bad guys, not just demurely following Her Majesty around without talking or looking at anyone. No one notices me, not even if I want them too." Shmi's mind wandered to the young man who'd come into the room before, but the girl continued speaking on a soft laugh. "Besides, I don't exactly look like P…the queen." She pushed back the veil that covered her head and lifted a hand to run over her bright red hair.

Just then Eirtaé happened to walk by. She suddenly stopped and gave Dané a hard look. "Veil on," she instructed in a bossy tone. "The Jedi is waiting outside for you to escort Miss. Skywalker, her son and the android out to him. Hurry up and then report to Her Majesty's room." She moved a step forward and lowered her voice, that hard look still in her eyes. "We'll talk about this later," she said with a glance at Dané's uncovered head before turning and walking away.

Shmi watched the woman disappear with raised eyebrows. She looked back at her young friend in surprise, but that quickly turned to worry. "I hope I didn't get you in trouble."

Dané shrugged, slipping the veil over her head once more. "That's just how Eirtaé is. She's still a little angry that she lost to…Queen Amidala. But if she had been queen, there's no way I would have accepted this position in the first place. The Queen's nice and everyone loves her, that's why she won. Eirtaé is bossy and a rich, spoiled brat." She made a face behind the other woman's back before smiling at Shmi. "But Master Jinn is waiting for you, so you'd best get going."

"Come along, Anakin. And bring 3PO," Shmi called over her shoulder before moving at Dané's side. "She ran against Her Majesty to become queen?" she asked in surprise. "And now she's the queen's handmaiden? Is that really a very good idea on their part?"

Dané laughed a looked over at Shmi. "She's not as bad as she used to be, and she was apparently even worse before I joined them, but I believe she and the queen are friends now. It's hard to stay angry with someone like Queen Amidala. She's just too…well, I don't know how to describe her. There's just something about her that makes it impossible for someone to not like her. But that doesn't mean Eirtaé is any less bossy to the rest of us. To her, I'm still just the little farm girl and she's the rich girl from the wealthy family."

"She sounds like she's hard to get along with," she offered up.

Dané nodded a little. "Like I said, she'd not as bad as she used to be, but when she gets bossy like just now than it's very difficult to like her even a little bit. And she has these moments when she becomes the snotty rich girl she used to be, the kind I would have stayed far away from back when I was still on the farm. And it just makes me all the more ready to move on to something else."

"What do you think you'll do?" Shmi asked, tipping her head to the side a little as they moved through the corridors. "Once you leave the queen, I mean."

Dané shrugged, pursing her lips in thought. "I'm not sure. The only life I knew before this one was farming, but I don't want to return to that. Maybe I'll do protection duty still, but as my own boss instead of listening to someone tell me what to do all the time."

They reached the doors leading out of the ship and stopped for a moment, blinking into the shining sun in an attempt to adjust to the light. When they looked down, Qui-Gon was waiting patiently in the meadow they'd landed in, his eyes locked on them but no emotion registered on his face. His eyes flashed quickly with an emotion Shmi couldn't quite place, but it was gone so fast she wasn't sure if she'd imagined it or not.

Dané walked with her until they were at Qui-Gon's side before quickly dipping her head in a bow to the Jedi and then turning her eyes to Shmi. When she hesitated, as if uncertain of what goodbye was in order for the other woman, Shmi leaned forward to give her a quick hug. After a surprised moment, Dané's arms wrapped around Shmi's back and she gave a reassuring squeeze before pulling away, a slight curl to her lips. "I hope to see you again, Shmi," she said quietly.

Shmi smiled in return. "I do too, Dané. Please be safe." She waited for a moment before leaning a little close. "And good luck with Eirtaé," she offered up.

The younger woman turned away with a grin, moving back to the ship. Before she disappeared though, she turned back, shielded her eyes from the light so she could see her friend, and lifted her hand in a quick wave. Shmi returned the parting gesture before Dané disappeared into the ship.

"I see you've made a friend," Qui-Gon commented, his voice holding an amused note.

She looked over at him with a smile. "Yes, I suppose I have. She's a sweet girl, though I don't think she's suited for the life she's currently living. She doesn't take orders well." She sent him a sly look at they turned and he gave a small wave to Anakin, C-3PO, and a couple men to follow them. "That sounds familiar."

Qui-Gon's lips tipped up in a smile as he looked over at her. "I can follow orders. I just choose not to when I know that the best option in another route."

They walked in companionable silence for a while, the only sounds around them those of the forest and the traipsing of feet behind them.

"Where are we going, Qui-Gon?" she finally asked, giving him a mildly worried look. Dané had told her that Qui-Gon didn't want her near the fighting, that he wanted to keep her safe, but she still wasn't certain exactly what was going on. Would he be with them? Would he leave and go off to war, leaving her to sit around and worry over him? There were too many questions buzzing through her head, questions she couldn't ask when they were surrounded by people.

"There's a housing until out here that our young Padmé told me of. She says it's the queen's and that Her Majesty, should you agree, wishes to give it to you. That is, if you want to live here." He didn't look at her, but he felt her surprise. "She said it's not very big, but that she hopes it will be enough for you. No one will bother you should you chose it, but that there's a village within walking distance should you need anything. And best of all, there's plenty of space for a garden in the back."

"Qui-Gon!" she exclaimed quietly, wide eyes locked on him. "I can't possibly accept something like this. How will I ever pay her back?"

He sent her an amused look. "You don't need to pay her back. Not only did she explain that this was a gift and she needed nothing in return, but she also has more homes than one person needs. This was just a little place she bought to help a family in need of credits. She's never stayed here, though she's made certain that it was always keep in good condition should she decide to. The woman has many more estates, and it has always been highly unlikely that she would ever come here, though I hear it's a beautiful little house in a pleasant little meadow."

She looked over at him and arched one eyebrow at his description, which only made him chuckle quietly. "Padmé's words, not mine."

"And why are we going here now? Don't tell me that its so I can get settled in or anything like that either. I want the truth," she demanded.

Qui-Gon glanced over his shoulder at the others before pulling Shmi off to the side and waving them along. "We'll be along shortly," he told the three men following them, who gave a quick nod before moving along with Anakin and 3PO. Anakin glanced back with a confused frown, but Qui-Gon merely smiled a little in response.

Once they were out of earshot, he turned to look at Shmi, reaching out to gently tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't want you anywhere near the danger. I want you far away from it because I could never forgive myself if something happened to you." He sighed and took her hand, intertwining their fingers as they began walking along slowly. "I want you and Anakin out of harms' way."

"Anakin isn't going to be happy about this," she murmured quietly.

"Are you?" he asked in an equally quiet voice, glancing over at her in uncertainty. It was his worried expression that made her smile, just knowing that he cared so much about her thoughts and feelings warmed her heart, but at the same time caused a twinge of pain. While she knew he cared, she wanted his love more than anything.

"I understand why you're doing this. I'd be lying if I said I was thrilled, but I understand." She leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment, waiting until after he'd pressed a kiss into her hair before looking at him again. "I'll be honest and say that I'll worry myself crazy while I'm here. I won't be able to stand you being in danger while I'm just sitting here, safe and sound, but I'll be comforted because I'm aware that you know what you're doing. You can take care of yourself. Not much comfort from it, but there will be some."

"Hopefully Anakin will see it too," he murmured quietly. Looking over at her, he smiled a little. "We've been spending a lot of time together, Anakin and I. He's a good boy. He likes to sit in the control room and watch what everyone is doing. And he's a quick learner. After watching the pilots for a while, he knew exactly what they were doing and how to fly the ship. He even gave them some tips for how to pilot it better that they'd never thought of before. They were quite amazed by him."

Shmi smiled as she looked up into the trees ahead. "He's very fond of you already, and I'm glad of it. He needs a man in his life to look up to." She let out a small sigh as her mind drifted back to the life she'd had before meeting Qui-Gon. "He never really had anyone to look up to, not really. Our masters were all very cruel, Watto being the best of them all if you can believe it, so he couldn't really admire any of them. Most of the others we were around merely looked out for themselves, what was best for them and what would get them the most from life. But I'm glad that he has someone now."

They grew quiet and pulled apart as they rounded a corner of trees, and Shmi gasped at the sight that was before her. The meadow was quite beautiful, but it was the housing unit that caused her to stop in her tracks. The queen had said it was a little thing, but to Shmi it was a palace. It looked to be two, maybe even three stories high, splaying over the entire center of the meadow. Closer to the trees were several more buildings along with what appeared to be a small swamp-like pond that was fenced in. A garage, when looked to be three large stables for animals, and a storage hut. The storage hut alone was as big as the hovel she'd lived in as Watto's slave.

"I thought you would like it," he whispered to her, a smile in his eyes.

"It's…it's…oh, my," she whispered, too stunned for words. She couldn't take her eyes off the sprawling building before her, and barely even heard Qui-Gon chuckling at her side as he took her by the elbow and led her towards the house. "This is little?" she finally asked.

"To a queen? Yes, it is," he replied as they climbed the stairs to the doorway and walked inside.

"Do you know how many people could have lived in a unit of this size on Tattooine?" she asked as she turned in circles, admiring the splendor around her. "I don't even know if the Hutts had this beautiful of a home."

"None of that matters now," he said, moving up behind her and settling his hands on her shoulders, stopping her wild spinning before she hurt herself. He lowered his head and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. "It's all yours. Every room, every item in this house…everything. The land, the buildings and whatever may be in them, the queen has given all of it to you."

Shmi turned to look at him, her golden brown eyes big in her face. "This is too much, really it is. What am I supposed to do with all this?" She suddenly stopped talking, and if it was possible her eyes grew even wider. "Everything in the buildings? You mean there are already things here?" she squeaked out.

He chuckled and nodded. "Beds, chairs, dressers and all other things that are needed in a house. There may even be some clothing—a very likely possibility. I'm certain that there are animals out in the shelter and even a speeder in the garage—"

"A speeder!"

Qui-Gon laughed, wrapping his arm around her waist to keep her from falling over. "Everything that a queen might ever need is in this house, and now it all belongs to you. Every last thing you find in here, Her Majesty has said is yours, no matter what it is."

"What if I should find a supply of credits?" she gasped out as he walked her over to a chair and lowered her into it.

"Then it's yours, by the queen's orders," he replied with a smile at the way her eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head. It seemed her shock was overloading, but he couldn't help himself. "You probably will find a nice little emergency stash of credits, though."

Shmi slumped in the seat, certain she was about to faint. She couldn't even get annoyed with Qui-Gon when he sat there laughing at her response. "I can't accept this. I can't possibly accept this," she kept mumbling to herself as she looked at the room around her. She would be in the queen's debt forever.

Qui-Gon pulled her to her feet with a smile, wrapping an arm around her for support. "Come. We'll walk away for a while and let you calm down. Hopefully when we come back, you won't be so stunned."

Shmi allowed him to walk her from the house, closing her eyes until they were outside. He sat her in a chair sitting at a wide area that had been fenced off but held nothing inside of it, telling her that he would return in a moment before leaving her by herself. Shmi managed to calm herself back down and regain her senses by the time Qui-Gon returned to her.

She frowned at him, eying the satchel hanging from his shoulder, the one she'd found and he'd told her that he couldn't explain it to her. She didn't remember seeing it in the room before, and certainly hadn't seen the men carrying it out with her things, so how had it gotten out to the housing unit?

Qui-Gon must have seen the questions in her eyes, because he helped her to her feet and said in a quiet voice, "I put it in your chest of things, so the men would carry it out here but not see it." He sent her a serious look, glancing around as if looking for someone before quickly leading her to the smallest of the three animal shelters, a thick green strip across the top of the door.

"What are we doing in here, Qui-Gon?" she whispered as they slipped inside. She glanced around the dimly lit building with a frown, wondering why he'd brought her and this satchel out here.

"I have to meet with someone, Shmi," he told her in a quiet voice, pulling her into the darkest corner. "His master was an old friend of mine before he was killed, but you have to promise not to mention this to anyone. If Obi-Wan knew I was meeting with him, he would be suspicious." He moved to the window and glanced outside before returning to her. "I can't tell you what this is all about, but you have to trust me, my sweet, it's for the best."

Shmi nodded and turned her attention to the inside of the shelter. As she glanced around, she noted that the building was separated into two sections. In the smaller of the space, she noticed a bird-like creature that had to be one of the ugliest things she'd ever seen. The small creatures were different shades of brown and green with little amber colored eye that watched her blankly. Their large jaws moved without making a noise, the wattles hanging down from either side of their mouths swaying as they moved to the front of the pen and grew closer to her.

"Nuna," Qui-Gon supplied when she looked at him in question. "Ugly little things, but they've very popular. I hear they are a delicacy and that's why they're being farmed here. Soon you'll be able to sell some of them and then just let them repopulate themselves until you sell of the adults of those. Only keep one male and about four or five females. Then all you have to do is feed them and they'll do the rest. Just take them into town and they'll bring you in enough credits that you won't have to worry about getting another job."

"So I'm to be a farmer," she murmured as she looked around. Spotting a carrier beside the pen, she moved forward and looked inside. As soon as she opened the grey box, the wattles on the nuna's mouths lifted and a sharp cry came from the group, causing Shmi to drop the lid and jump back in surprise.

"I think they're hungry," Qui-Gon offered up, moving to her side and lifting the top of the carrier once more. He reached inside with a hand scoop that had been lying on a shelf, lifting out a large helping of the slimy swamp plants from inside and dropping them into the pen. The animals grew quiet and waddled over to the food to devour it. He quickly dropped in another helping before setting the hand scoop aside and closing the carrier.

She made a face at the ugly little things that caused Qui-Gon to laugh. He then moved to the window and glanced out again as she moved on to the other, larger pen. When she looked inside, she came face-to-face with a large creature. Its scaly skin was light blue and covered in purple spots. Pale blue eyes watched her with interest and it shifted close on its six, hoofed legs.

"Jimvu," he offered as he moved up behind her, resting his hand lightly on the small of her back. "The swamp outside is for them. Just put the harnesses on them and led them to it, close the fence behind them and they'll be happy. Just make sure you don't leave them out there too long. If they're out at night, then they might attract something and you'll be in for some trouble if a veermok wanders over here. Huge, hairy things with claws and sharp teeth—trust me, not something you want to mess with. Especially not in mating season. They're normally alone, but during mating season they form a bond with their mate, and if you kill one of them than the other will come for revenge against whoever or whatever killed the mate."

"So why are they here?" she asked with a trace of panic in her voice.

Qui-Gon chuckled a little. "Because people pay good credits for them, that's why. They're strong and agile, though not good when it comes to fighting. They're fast, but that's it. People like to race them, and that's mainly why they're here. But some people might buy them just to own them, or even to train and ride them."

She moved to a larger container next to the pen and opened it, gasping at the sight before her. Inside were tiny little creature, all moving about, hoping up and down as she looked in on them. Their large reddish colored eyes stared up at her. She couldn't help but let out a coo as she stared down at the brown and white, furry creatures, thinking that they were about the most adorable things she'd ever seen.

Suddenly, an uneasy feeling slid down her spine as she looked at Qui-Gon and noticed the look in his eyes. "What are these here for?" she asked in a tiny voice, worried he might tell her something that she hoped not to hear.

"The jimvu aren't plant eaters, darling. They have to have something," he told her in a gentle voice. When she pulled her hand back and quickly turned from the little things, he moved forward to slip her arms around her. "You don't have to feed them, someone else will. Or you can feed them something else, and sell the tooke. They make good pets, but they multiply quickly. If you stop feeding them to the jimvu, they'll be eight times more than those in two weeks, so you'd have to sell them fast."

Shmi shook her head and straightened her spine. "I just don't like that I'll be feeding them to the jimvu alive, but I can do it." She turned back to the carrier, lifted the lid and picked up a bucket from beside the pen. Gathering up some of the cute little creatures, she dropped them into the pen and turned away as three more jimvu creatures came running from the other side of them pen for their meal.

She dropped the bucket before slipping a hand into the carrier and lifting out one of the tooke, cradling it in the palm of her hand as it settled down, almost seeming to smile, closing its eyes and going to sleep in her hand. Her fingers gently slipped over its soft fur and she raised her eyes to Qui-Gon's.

He smiled a little at her and closed the carrier, knowing she wasn't going to be returning the thing to it. "I think you just found yourself a pet."

Suddenly, a shaft of light appeared from behind them, disappearing just a quickly. Shmi spun around in surprise, hiding the small tooke in her hands as if to protect it, but Qui-Gon slowly turned toward the man standing behind them.

"There are royal guards all over the place out there," the man growled irritably. "What, are you hiding the queen of Naboo here or something?" he snapped as he moved forward. When he noticed Qui-Gon wasn't alone, but with a woman, one eyebrow slowly lifted at his violet eyes turned to the man before him. "Well, well, well," he murmured with a chuckle, a slow smile curling his lips. "That what this is all about?" he asked with interest.

"Shmi, this is Khaar Laatl. Khaar, this is Shmi Skywalker," he replied, introducing the two of them.

Khaar took Shmi's hand and bent over it, pressing a kiss to her knuckles as if she were royalty. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Skywalker. And might I ask where your husband is on such a lovely day?"

Shmi cleared her throat, her cheeks flushing as the young man before her sent her a handsome smile. "I'm not married," she replied softly.

That only made the man smile more, sending Qui-Gon a knowing look. His skin was a dark yellow-green, his eyes a dark shade of violet and his hair black and falling to his neck. His face held blue diamond shaped tattoos, angling down from either side of his nose, four in a row. He was about as tall as Qui-Gon, but more muscular and appeared to be only twenty years old, about the age of Obi-Wan she would say. His hands were rough with calluses', but warm. She noted that a lightsaber hung from his belt beneath his cloak.

"Are you a Jedi as well?" she asked him when he returned his attention to her and released her hand.

A quick flash of pain entered into his eyes before he covered it up, sending her that handsome smile of his as he slowly shook his head. "No, I'm not. My master was killed when I was only eightteen and I left the Order shortly after that. For the past ten years I've been what you might call…a freelance Force-sensitive being," he told her with a smile.

"Ten years? But that means you'd be, well, twenty-eight now," she exclaimed in surprise, looking him over again. "You don't look it," she murmured.

He laughed softly, smiling at her once more. "I'm guessing you've never met a Mirialan before. I don't age like other humanoids, but much slower. No one really knows just how long my people can live, since most don't die by natural causes—and if they do it's a disease that takes them. The oldest I know of have been a couple hundred years old, but maybe one day we'll find out more."

"A couple hundred years," she murmured in amazement. She couldn't imagine living that long. Her mind turned back to what he'd said about being a 'freelance' Force-sensitive being and she frowned, "Is that why you're here?" she asked, glancing over at Qui-Gon. When she noted the mask on his face and the way his body had gone tense, she suddenly got a bad feeling about this. Looking back to Khaar, she examined him a little closer. His robes were dark, and there was a glint in his eyes that she hadn't noticed before. There was something about him that Qui-Gon didn't seem to trust, despite the fact that he was obviously asking for his help.

"I'm good at what I do, Miss Skywalker," he offered with that charming smile of his, flashing his white teeth. "And what I do is…well, it's something that Master Jinn here needs help with."

"So, have you gotten any new tattoos recently, Khaar?" Qui-Gon asked softly, a tension in his voice that was almost completely undetectable. If Shmi hadn't known him so well, she would never have noticed it.

Khaar glanced down at the diamond tattoos making an X on the back of his hands. "No, I got these when I became a Knight," he stated with a shrug. "And these were from becoming a Padawan," he murmured, lifting a hand to indicate the one on his cheeks.

The tension was suddenly thick in the air, and Shmi found herself trying to think of a way to edge back from the man without it seeming like she wanted to get away from him. She didn't know what was going on, but Qui-Gon didn't trust him. There was something suspicious about him.

"Any markings at all?" he asked, as though making conversation.

Khaar remained quiet for a moment before rolling his shoulders. "I've got some new scars here and there. Spent some time on one of the outer rim planets a several years ago as a slave in the mines, but I managed to get away. Got better at my job because of that mistake."

"Least you learned a lesson from it," Qui-Gon offered up.

"So, now that the small talk's over, what's going on Jinn? You were very cryptic on the comlink. Just said where to meet and that you had a job for me," Khaar began, obviously ready to get down to business.

"Shmi, would you give us a moment?" Qui-Gon asked, but never took his eyes from the younger man.

Shmi knew he was only asking to be polite, and that he wanted her to walk away. It had something to do with the satchel, something to do with the thing that he couldn't tell her. She moved away from the two of them, allowing them their privacy so that Qui-Gon could tell Khaar whatever it was that he wanted him to do. She absently began to stroke the tooke in her hand, looking down at it in surprise when she realized that it was shaking with fear.

"Oh, there, there. Poor little thing," she cooed, trying to calm it with soothing words and gently petting its fur. "What's the matter, little sweetie?" she asked, smiling down at it. "Do you like that? I think that will be your name, Little Sweetie."

She continued speaking to the creature in soft tones until Qui-Gon called for her once more. She moved over to the men again, noting that Qui-Gon had handed the satchel over to Khaar. They remained quiet for a moment more before Qui-Gon began speaking again in a soft voice. "It's not worth it, Khaar, what you're thinking about."

Khaar flashed that grin of his, but something in his eyes had gone hard. "I don't know, I think there's at least one thing that might make it worth it. A little Miraluka female I met a few weeks ago, she made the choice sound tempting."

Qui-Gon stiffened further. "She'll have Sene Seekers after her. You'll be in danger too. They might try to take her alive in hopes of turning her, but you they don't care about. It's the members of their own race who matter, not members of another race. Besides, they'll see you as keeping her from crossing back."

"I can handle myself." A rough edge entered his voice than had Shmi taking a step back without even thinking about it.

Qui-Gon's tone softened, a look entering his eyes that was full of anguish. "I'm here if you need me, Khaar. If you ever need someone to talk to, I've been where you are, I've considered what you're thinking about…I can help you through it."

"This is something I have to do on my own," Khaar replied, but the edge had left his voice, leaving him sounding almost hollow. A mirrored pain shone in his eyes before both men pushed the feelings away. "I'll be seeing you, Qui-Gon," he murmured as he moved to the door he'd entered in before. Stopping, he turned to look at the older man, an uncertain look on his face. "You're sure about this, right?"

Qui-Gon gave a simple nod before meeting Khaar's eyes. "May the Force be with you, my friend."

Khaar gave a slow smile, much different from the ones before. This was a real, genuine smile that made him look even younger than he was. "May the Force be with you as well." His eyes turned to Shmi and the smile remained. "It was nice meeting you, Miss Skywalker. I hope to one day see you again."

And with that, he disappeared through the doors, leaving Shmi and Qui-Gon alone.

Shmi glanced to Qui-Gon, watching him for a long moment. His eyes were closed and she had the feeling he was reining in his emotions. She wanted to ask him what that had all been about, but knew he wouldn't answer her. He'd said that he couldn't tell her and she would respect that. But there was one thing she wanted to know, about what she'd overheard them talking about before Khaar left.

"What were you talking about there in the end? The thing that Khaar is considering, that you once dealt with?" she asked him gently, laying a hand on his arm.

Qui-Gon met her gaze, remaining quiet for a long moment before he began to speak. "Khaar is considering becoming a Fallen Jedi. He may no longer be considered a Jedi in the terms of being under the Order, but he is still one at heart. He would never have left if another Master had taken him on after his own had died, but there were no Mirialan Master's without Padawans at the time, and a Mirialan can only be trained by one of their own race. In order to keep from being sent to Bandomeer, a mining colony for younglings who aren't chosen by a master, he left. He's had an assortment of odd jobs since then—I've kept an eye on him as best I could since Master Thaneo was one of my closest friends—and has mostly been a bounty hunter. Recently I heard of a rumor that he'd become a hired assassin, and so I wanted to see him for myself. And now I know he's also considering going to the Dark Side, becoming a Dark Jedi."

"A Dark Jedi?" she whispered, feeling as though her blood had run cold in her veins.

"He seems to have begun to dip into it, hence his becoming an assassin, but he's not completely embraced the Dark Side yet. Dark Jedi are different from Sith, though they're also the same in many ways. A Dark Jedi only cares about their own personal gain, not taking over or wiping out the Jedi—which is why we don't concentrate on them so much as the Sith, unless they've allied themselves together."

He turned to look at where Khaar had disappeared. "He's a good man, but he's very confused and hurt still. Being a Jedi was all he'd ever known. He was taken as a young child and has no memories of his former life, so he has nothing to go back to. He feels that he doesn't belong anywhere, and so when this Miraluka female offered him a place to belong, it appealed to him. Like I said, he hasn't decided anything yet, but I fear that he will give in to her."

She slipped her arm around his waist, hugging him because she didn't know what to say. He was facing the possibility of someone he obviously cared about going to the Dark Side. It was something she'd never face before and so didn't know how to deal with it. "I am sorry, Qui-Gon," she whispered. "I know it's not much, but…"

He pressed a kiss into her hair, taking a deep breath. "It's enough, sweeting, it's enough." Slipping his arm around her waist, he gave her a reassuring squeeze before leading her to the door and opening it.

Before they'd made it halfway to the housing unit, Anakin came running out to them, a look of betrayal and disbelief on his face. "You're leaving us here!" he cried out, focusing his attention on Qui-Gon. Several guards followed closely behind him, but stayed back when Qui-Gon waved to them that everything was alright.

He knelt before Anakin and let out a long sigh. "I have to, Anakin. I don't want you or your mother getting hurt, and so I need to leave you here. I promise that you will be fine and I'll return as soon as possible to check on the two of you. Now, the queen has graciously given this house to your mother so that the two of you may stay here should that be what you choose."

"But you're leaving us. How could you do that?" he asked angrily. "You said you were going to train me. How are you supposed to do that when you won't let me come with you? I can help you if you let me."

"Now, Ani," Shmi began.

"No!" he cried out again. "You're just going to take his side, but you don't understand." Finally, the anger began to fade and the two could see the pain in his eyes. "What if something happens to you? What if you get hurt and don't come back?" he asked before suddenly throwing his arms around Qui-Gon and hugging him. "I don't want you to go. Why can't someone else take your place?"

Qui-Gon lifted pain filled eyes to meet Shmi's tearful ones, finally understanding what Anakin's anger was based on. He was afraid that Qui-Gon wouldn't come back to them. "It's my job, Anakin. I have to go and protect the queen because I was assigned this mission, and I have to follow my orders. But I'll come back, I promise."

Shmi felt her heart breaking as she watched Qui-Gon and her son. She could see them as a family, quite clearly, and it broke her heart because she knew it wasn't possible. They could never be a family, but it was obviously something that they all wanted. It appeared that Qui-Gon had become a father-figure in Anakin's life without her even realizing it, and she was saddened that she'd missed seeing the two of them bonding.

Suddenly, Anakin pulled away from Qui-Gon and ran off. Two of the guards chased after him and they disappeared into the trees closest to them. Shmi started after him, but Qui-Gon rose and stopped her by taking her arm in his hand. When she looked at him, he merely shook his head slowly. "He needs time," he explained quietly.

They moved inside, but the guards remained out in the meadow so they were alone.

Qui-Gon turned Shmi so she was facing him, looking into her eyes with the most serious expression she'd ever seen on his face. "I'm coming back for you. No matter what happens, I'm coming back. You're mine, Shmi, forever."

"Now you tell me," she muttered before pulling him into a long kiss. She rested her forehead against his, breathing heavily as she looked into his eyes. "And you're mine, Qui-Gon Jinn," she replied in a tone that brooked no argument.

He smiled a little, but there was a flash of pain in his eyes as he gently touched her face. Both knew their moment was coming to an end. "You won't hear me complaining." They stood in silence, holding one another, until he finally pulled away and moved to the door. "I'm leaving the guards with you and I won't take no for an answer."

"I won't argue with you," she whispered, trying to hold back her tears. She hated that he was going off to war soon, but she knew that he had to do it.

He opened the door but stopped turning to look at her. He stared at her in silence for a long time, as if he were memorizing her face. She did the same to him, taking in every inch of him, everything about him, so that whenever she wanted to she'd be able to pull up this image of him.

"Shmi…" he trailed off, merely watching her once more. She remained quiet, watching for him to finish. "I love you," he whispered before slipping out the door.

She stood frozen for a moment before rushing to the door, intent on telling him of her feelings as well, but only saw a brown blur as he rushed across the meadow at speeds only a Jedi could move at. She pressed her hand to her chest as she stood in the doorway, tears slipping down her cheeks. "And I love you, Qui-Gon Jinn," she whispered after him.

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**P.S.- Don't forget to tell me what you think of Khaar (my "new" character) and if you'd be interested in reading more about his character. This is sort of an introductory for him since I only use him in one other story. I hope you guys like him and want to hear more, because I think he maybe just be my favorite character (besides Dara, of course :D ).  
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**Review and let me know what you think, liked, if there's something you want me to write...anything. I don't care so long as you don't flame the story or me (mild flames I will accept at the moment, since I did make you wait a long time for this-again, sorry about that).  
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**MTFBWY...DT  
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	21. Chapter 18 Comlink

**I know this is a short chapter, and for that (plus the extended period of not updating) I'm sorry...but I wanted to get this chapter uploaded as soon as I could. I planned for this to be longer, but I just haven't had the time to write a lot recently-until the past couple days, I actually haven't done much writing at all. I'm working midnights now on top of doing some ghost-writing (I'm now a paid author, if unpublished, but still-woot!), but I'm trying to get some ff writing in there. I'll do my hardest to get the next chapter written on my breaks/lunch periods this week, so that it won't take me as long on chapter 19...just, please be patient with me!**

**Anyways, been a while, so I'll shut it now. Enjoy!**

**MTFBWY...DT**

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**Chapter Eighteen- Comlink**

Shmi wandered out to the second largest animal shelter, glancing around as she did so. Anakin still hadn't returned that she knew of and the guards had searched the grounds—they'd returned to tell her that they hadn't found the boy. Worry had formed a loose knot in her belly that tightened as time passed and she still didn't see him—but she wasn't going to allow herself to panic just yet. Qui-Gon had told her that Ani needed time, and so she was going to give it to him. She still worried though, especially after hearing what kinds of creatures wandered through the woodlands and swamps around here. She only hoped that Anakin had slipped back into the house without them noticing—a feat she knew he could have pulled off.

Turning her attention back to the tall "U" shaped building before her, she thought about what the guards had told her. Since Qui-Gon had left before he could tell her what other animals the property contained, she'd asked the guards he'd left with her—and she'd noticed that the young man that Qui-Gon continued to point out to her was among them. She wondered if he'd done that on purpose, thinking the young man might be more likely to risk himself for her than the others. Shmi wasn't exactly relieved by that thought.

Pushing that away, she concentrated on the shelter before her. A large blue stripe wound its way around the top of the building, which she'd been told was a signifier to how dangerous the animals inside were considered. Green was least dangerous, blue signified that the creatures inside were somewhat dangerous and red showed that the animals were very dangerous.

It was the third, largest shelter that held the red stripe and Shmi wasn't certain she wanted to go into by herself. Why would someone keep dangerous animals on the grounds anyways?

Opening the door, she cast a quick glance over her shoulder as she slipped inside—four guards were following behind her. They hadn't left her alone for a moment's peace since Qui-Gon had left, trailing behind her with two at a distance and two almost right on top of her. It wasn't a stretch to believe that they were getting on her nerves finally.

She wished that the men would remain outside, but she didn't have high hopes for it. Three of the men would surround the building while one of them entered inside to watch her closely. And she had the feeling that the one who came inside would be her young admirer. Avoiding him seemed to be out of the question, he always found a way to be the guard closest to her.

Shmi remained still for a moment after pulling the door closed, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting inside. When she could see, she had to blink a few times at the creature standing just inside the large pin before her, studying her with its large, round purple eyes—a tall, male Zalaaca.

She marveled at the stunning blue and yellow male before turning her eyes to the three female standing in a tight grouping not far from him. Unlike the male of the group, the females of the species were completely blue, though a darker shade.

Her eyes adjusted further, and she was surprised to find that most of the building was housing trees as well as these creatures. The females huddled just barely out of the dense forestry, apparently ready to run into hiding if need be.

Her attention quickly returned to the male when he snapped his jaws, its large grinding molars and slicing tusks drawing her eyes. At first, she thought this was a threatening movement, but when the animal then lowered its head and leaned out, offering its unguarded head to her, she realized that this must have been some form of acceptance or offering of friendship to her.

Slowly moving closer, Shmi held out her hand and smiled when the creature pressed its flat forehead into her palm and made a low sound in its throat. Sliding her hand down along the animal's wide neck, she quickly examined this beast along with the females who were moving closer now with interest. The creatures seemed to have sharp claws and spikes as well as finned tails for swimming. She would have to remember to also let these beasts out into the pond.

"Careful, my lady," a voice said from behind her as the door opened and closed. "These are dangerous creatures."

Shmi turned around slowly, tensing up as she saw the young guard standing several feet away from her. While she wasn't frightened of him or particularly distressed by his presence, she also didn't want him here. She didn't want to give him any hope that she was interested in him, but she found it impossible not to be polite to anyone—and she feared that he might take her politeness to mean something completely different, which was something that she couldn't afford to happen.

The sound that came from the male Zalaaca at that moment was one that was undoubtedly meant as a threat—it was a sort of snarl that when the beast made it, its mouth opened and it flashed white teeth at him. Shoulders hunched, the creature looked as though it were ready to jump out of the pin and attack.

"There, there," Shmi cooed in a voice similar to the one she'd used on her new pet Little Sweetie before when it had been frightened by Khaar. She ran her palms over the male's smooth skin, making soothing noises. "There's no danger here now. Why are you getting so riled up?" she asked it. The beast had calmed down some as she spoke and petted it, but its eyes remained locked and untrusting on the young guard.

The young man cleared his throat and backed up some. "I believe it's me, ma'am. As I understand it, the pervious occupant of the housing until, the person who cared for these animals was a woman hired by the queen. Originally it had been the woman and her husband, but it turned out that the man was cruel to the animals and one day he hit one of these animals—or maybe it was one of their young—and was attacked for it."

"He was attacked?" Shmi gasped. She was startled and offended that the man had struck one of the beautiful creatures before her, but she was worried about the fact that the man had been attacked. While she didn't like the idea of him striking one of the animals, she also didn't wish for him to have been harmed because of it.

The young man nodded. "He was rescued by one of the other workers, and the woman was able to get the beast away, but the damage had been done. The man had tried to get the Queen to pay for his injuries, but when she found out why he'd been attacked, she refused to agree to his demands. The man was charged and taken away, but his wife remained here. It was discovered the man was just as violent with his wife as he had been with the animals, but he was imprisoned. As far as I know, he's still serving his sentence and is quite old now."

The door opened and Dané walked into the shelter. She looked to the young man. "I'll stay with Ms. Skywalker now." He frowned and started to say something, but the handmaiden shook her head once, a hard look on her face. "Master Jinn's orders—I'm to be her close guard. I'm trained, and you'll be of more use keeping your eye out…from a distance."

The young man pressed his lips together, obviously wanting to say something, but knowing he couldn't go against orders.

The women were quiet as he left, but as soon as the door closed and they were alone, Shmi let out a relieved sigh and smiled at Dané. "Thank you…and please, call me Shmi," she said quietly.

Dané gave a slow smile, and then started to laugh. She glanced over her shoulder as she walked up to the older woman. "Master Jinn pulled me aside before he left earlier and let me know that Sorn was…well, bothering you."

"I wouldn't really say that he was bothering me…"

Dané smiled again. "He likes you. He's been following you around, making sure that he's your close guard…and I suspect that you're not the only one that it's been bothering." When Shmi's eyes widened a little bit, she shook her head slowly. "You don't have to worry about me saying anything; it's my job to look the other way."

Shmi felt her cheeks growing warm. "Thank you again, I guess."

Dané gave her a sad smile this time. "It's alright…I know what it's like to love someone who you're not supposed to."

Shmi looked over at her and noted the truth in her eyes…but also knew it was none of her business. She considered asking anyways, but then the young woman shook her head and turned back to the door.

"Would you like to go to the next shelter? I think it houses Tusk cats and Slice hounds…"

Shmi started to agree, but then a thought struck her. "Has my son come back yet?" she asked instead.

Dané frowned, looking back over her shoulder at Shmi even as she opened up the door and gestured for Shmi to go out first. "I haven't seen him and none of the guards mentioned seeing him…but Master Jinn did mention that he'd run off, and that he thought he might return to the house. He said that your son has extraordinary talents, so that he may be able to slip past the guards without any of them noticing."

She nodded slowly, starting out of the shelter with Dané following her close behind. "Would you mind helping me search through the house for him? He normally doesn't run off for too long…and he always comes and checks in with me because…" she trailed off, sighing as she looked over at her new friend. "He's all I have left."

Dané nodded as they walked back to the house. "Of course I will. I'll even pull a guard or two from the yard here to help us out."

Shmi looked to her left and noticed Sorn standing near the edge of the clearing, watching her carefully. She quickly looked away, glancing back at Dané. "Just don't ask him…and don't let him volunteer," she whispered, as though he might hear her.

The other woman laughed. "I thought you said he wasn't bothering you?"

She shrugged. "He wasn't before…but I just don't like the way he's always there, always watching me. I never noticed it until Qui-Gon—I mean, Master Jinn pointed it out to me. And since then, I just can't seem to forget that he's there. I wish he'd done back to the ship…"

"But Master Jinn specifically chose him to be one of your guards." She gave Shmi a knowing look. "He knew that Sorn would willingly jump in front of anything that would be threatening you—and when you care about someone the way I know he cares about you, you're willing to put up with anything as long as you know the person you love will be safe. And that includes letting someone who annoys you, like Sorn, stay with the person you love."

"You sound just like him," she muttered.

Shmi walked into the house while Dané went out to ask two of the guards—neither of which were Sorn—before following after her to search the house…and they search every inch of it, turned everything upside down, and still didn't find him.

She was a wreck, with Dané trying to comfort her and the guards continuing their search for Anakin outside once more. They searched through the shelters, buildings, and the surrounding woodlands…yet still, their hands all came up empty.

"The ship!" she cried, lifting her head. She looked to Dané. "He was upset because Qui-Gon was leaving us here to keep us safe…he hated that he wouldn't be able to be there with him, and he must have snuck back on the ship without any of them noticing. I have to contact them…do you have a comlink? No wait—I think Qui-Gon may have put one in my bag."

She jumped up and ran over to where one of the bags she'd brought from her old home sat, opening it up and digging through it until she came up with one. "He wanted me to have it in case I ever needed to get a hold of him." She turned it over in her hands a few times, frowning deeply. "How do you work this stupid thing?" she muttered.

Dané started to move forward to show her how, when it suddenly went off in her hands, causing Shmi to jump a little. Dané merely showed her how to answer it, and then stepped back.

"H-hello?" she stuttered out.

"Ms. Skywalker," Qui-Gon's voice came over the comlink.

She sighed with relief. "Qui-Gon," she started, but a nudge from Dané had her realizing that he'd not used her given name, so someone else was probably with him on the other end of the comlink. She flushed a little. "Master Jinn, I was just about to contact you…"

"And I would assume that it's about the same thing I'm calling you about," he said with a long-suffering sigh. "I found Anakin hiding with the droids—almost didn't notice he was there…that is until I was passing by and heard him sneeze. He was doing a surprisingly good job of keeping himself hidden, both physically and through the Force. If I weren't so upset with him, I'd probably admire it. I told him that he was supposed to stay with you, his mother, but he just—"

"Master Jinn!"

"What is it?"

Shmi looked over at Dané with wide eyes as she moved forward.

"That's one of the other handmaidens."

"It sounds like Padme…" Shmi replied.

Padme's voice came across the comlink once more. "We're landing at the Gungan camp sight. The Queen requests your presence immediately—wait, Anakin, what are you doing here?"

"I'll be there in a moment, and Anakin decided to sneak back onboard. Now, Anakin—you stay close to me while we're there and just do whatever I do," he said, his voice sounded a little distant, as though he were holding the comlink away from his mouth. Then, his voice got louder. "Ms. Skywalker, I'll watch out for your son."

"Q—Master Jinn…" She glanced at Dané and the male guards waiting in the house before slowly walking away from them and lowering her voice. "Please, promise me you won't let anything happen to him…"

She heard a series of noises before his voice came through again. "Are you alone?"

She snuck a glance over her shoulder as she turned the corner before hurrying down and closing herself in one of the other rooms. "Yes."

"I'd never forgive myself if something happened to him—to either of you. I will do everything in my power to keep Anakin out of harm's way."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Qui-Gon. I have something I need to tell you…"

"Anything."

Before she got the chance to tell him that she loved him, Padme's voice came across the comlink again. "Master Jinn. We need you now—the Gungans refuse to see the Queen unless they see you first…"

"I'll keep my word, Ms. Skywalker. I'll contact you again later when we know more."

"Alright, Master Jinn," she murmured, lowering the comlink when the line clicked off. Everything was rising up against her when it came to telling Qui-Gon about how she felt, but she was determined to let him know that she loved him no matter what happened the next time she saw him.


End file.
